Everyone's planning their local celebrations. From corned beef & cabbage cookouts (my plan) to pub trolling with good friends each of us has a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
It turns out blue is the color most favored in connection with St. Patrick historically. Due to the "wearing of green" or wearing a shamrock and the association with the color green with Ireland, green may have become the favored color of St. Patrick's day as far back as the mid 18th century.
What is the day celebrated for?
From the wonders of wikipedia, "Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17."
Maewyn Succat is said to be the birth name of St. Patrick, born in Wales he was taken as a slave to Ireland for several years. He escaped in his early twenties and made an arduous trek home, but just a few years later he returned to Ireland leading the Christian communities and baptising thousands.
I guess going out to the pubs and guzzling down pints of Guiness is as good a method as any to try and forget about how Catholicism virally spread through Ireland (viral marketing!). Confused, but more determined than ever, let the Corned Beef and Cabbage boiling begin. Important note for those who are cooking up corned beef and cabbage, let the corned beef simmer just under boiling temperature for about one hour per pound of meat. I better get cooking, Erin Go Bragh all!