Today you need to wear green. Otherwise you are in for bruises that may last for some time. Oh, joy.

When I was little I used to LOVE Saint Patrick's Day. My first grade teacher, while the class was at recess, turned our classroom into a disaster area and laid down green cut-out foot prints around the room. We followed the footprints, safely behind our teacher, and it lead us to a "pot of gold," which was really a bowl full of mini Hershey bars.

As I have gotten older, however, I think I've lost the "spirit" of the holiday. It seems that no one really knows the meaning of Saint Patrick's Day. Everyone just wants to use the day to get out of their lent commitments or have a party and say, "Kiss me, I'm Irish!"

I think everyone claims to be Irish on Saint Patrick's Day.

The original color of Saint Patrick's Day was actually blue. Apparently green grew more and more popular because of the shamrock, which Saint Patrick was said to have used to explain the trinity to pagan Irishmen. So, while Saint Patrick's Day in the US may be celebrated as one big party (as it is anywhere else as well), it's really a religious holiday celebrating the great works of Saint Patrick.

OK, enough with the history lesson.

Go enjoy some traditional Irish food, remember to wear green, and maybe you can pass some history on to someone before you pinch them.