Why do people pinch others for not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day?

Question

I have a light green shirt, but my friend STILL pinched me last year b/c she said it wasn't green enough. LOL

Answer 1

Historically, it comes from the fact that under the English domination, people were actually not allowed to wear green. Because to Irish, green represented their country (take a look at any landscape picture of Ireland and you know why), the English didn't want to see it.

Today, Irish (and non-Irish who are Irish for the day) wear green (usually a shamrock in the lapel) to symbolize their Irish identity and make up for when they feared wearing it and getting killed/

Under the English, if you were caught speaking Gaelic (the traditional Irish language) or wearing green, they would kill you. One of the more traditional Irish songs is called The Wearing of the Green. I've included the liyrics below:

O Paddy dear, an' did ye hear the news that's goin' round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground;
St. Patrick's Day no more we'll keep, his colour can't be seen,
For there's a cruel law agin the wearin' o' the Green.

I met with Napper Tandy, and he took me by the hand,
And he said, "How's poor old Ireland, and how does she stand?"
She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen,
For they're hangin' men an' women there for the wearin' o' the Green.

Then since the colour we must wear is England's cruel red,
Sure Ireland's sons will ne'er forget the blood that they have shed,
You may take a shamrock from your hat and cast it on the sod,
It will take root and flourish there though underfoot it's trod.

When law can stop the blades of grass from growin' as they grow,
And when the leaves in summer-time their colour dare not show,
Then will I change the colour, too, I wear in my caubeen
But 'till that day, please God, I'll stick to wearin' o' the Green.

But if at last our colour should be torn from Ireland's heart,
Her sons with shame and sorrow from the dear old isle will part;
I've heard a whisper of a land that lies beyond the sea
Where rich and poor stand equal in the light of freedom's day.

O Erin, must we leave you driven by a tyrant's hand?
Must we ask a mother's blessing from a strange and distant land?
Where the cruel cross of England shall nevermore be seen,
And where, please God, we'll live and die still wearin' o' the green!

Answer 2

Actually there's no connection between green and St. Patrick. It's just that Irish connecting green colour to fairies, angels, and saints, and any other Holy things.
Ireland is known as "The Emerald Isle," and emerald = green, so green is the color of Ireland and thus of St. Patrick's Day.
Now, if we were talking the Anglican Church, rather than the Irish Catholic, orange would be the color of choice. But since St. Patrick is Catholic (... not really, but you know what I mean...) green it is.
A major misconception is the association of St. Patrick with the colour green. The confusion arises from the phrase "the wearing of the green," which means to wear a shamrock. St. Patrick used the three-leaved plant to explain the Trinity of the Christian religion. Actually blue is the colour associated with St. Patrick. "St. Patrick's blue" can be seen on ancient Irish flags.
Green is associated with Saint Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. Leprechauns are also associated with this holiday, although I'm not sure why. Leprechauns of legend are actually mean little creatures, with the exception of the Lucky Charms guy. They were probably added later on because capitalists needed something cute to put on greeting cards.

Answer 3

I searched on the net because I did not have a good answer. It says that the tradition started generations back in American classrooms and has just carried on. Of course it is not a school day this year, but I already have a green shirt picked out for the day, plus some crazy green party beads.

Answer 4

It's a religious thing as are most disputes. Irish Catholics wear green, Protestants, orange.

Answer 5

i know... i pinch but never knew why,,haha its on a saturday anyway

Answer 6

Why do ye do that?We don't do that in ireland :)

Answer 7

Because they're drunk. Or jackasses. Or both.

Answer 8

b/c its tradition.

Answer 9

Because it's an international holiday - have you been asleep????