This morning, I joked to my fiancé about me wearing a hideous kelly green sweater I have at the top of my closet just because I heard on the radio it was St. Patrick’s Day. Since I’m not Irish and no longer a frequent visitor to the Manhattan bar scene, I decided against it.
However, on the train into work, I thought about why people wear colors on holidays… red on Valentine’s, green on St. Patty’s, both around Xmas, orange at Halloween, and any variance of pastels at Easter, etc. But does the penchant for color that relates to a holiday make you any more festive? No, it does not.
I suppose if you are actually Irish, and not a poser like most who just need a good excuse to drink green beer on a Thursday night, then it’s understandable. You’re celebrating your heritage, who you are in relation to your ancestry, and I accept that.
But my point is, try to remember that the surface of things proves nothing… your true allegiance to your roots exists in the inside, and only you need to know that. You could be the Incredible Hulk wearing a giant shamrock dress and it does not prove a thing to anybody.