Green or Orange

Growing up on St. Patrick's Day my adopted Dad would always wear a very old ORANGE cardigan sweater. He never wore GREEN and preferred us kids not wearing GREEN either. His entire life he wore ORANGE based on the years and years of war in Ireland between the Protestants and Catholics.

He grew up strict Protestant by his German Mother and the war in Ireland seemed to be kept alive in this radical family, who never forgot the battle for religious freedom.

Today people wear ORANGE on St. Patrick's Day in favor for Protestants, GREEN if you support the Catholics and RED if you are in support of Britain. So, the color you wear/wore was dependant on your own religious beliefs. The color GREEN became the symbol of sympathy for the Irish Independence. To gain Independence the British actually executed people found wearing any type of GREEN.


In Italy they wear RED on St. Patrick's Day, symbolizing the support of Britain in the century old upheaval in Ireland. In olden times the Irish would burn anything RED because of their hatred toward England, so in turn, the British would shoot people wearing GREEN. It all sounds like craziness to me, but the war for religious freedom is everywhere from the beginning of time to even today.

For me, I don't wear anything GREEN/RED or ORANGE. I, like all my regular beliefs, stay neutral. I've never been one to join a cause or openly rebel for or against something. I'm much happier being quiet and doing my own thing. Wearing ORANGE was instilled in me during my entire childhood, so I suppose in open rebellion to my childhood I wear no colors associated with St. Patrick's Day. So, whatever COLOR you wear today Happy St. Patrick's Day.