St. Patrick’s Day is an iconic holiday for Irish Americans that was initially a day for Irish immigrants to remember their homeland and their heritage.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by anyone who wants to claim a connection to Ireland. People attend parades, Catholic masses, spend time with their families and cook cultural foods to celebrate this special day. Even those of us who don’t have any connection to Ireland celebrate by wearing green.

Whether you’re Irish or not, anyone can take part in these fun St. Patrick’s Day traditions. After all, it seems like the majority of people wearing “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” shirts aren’t actually Irish!

Every March 17 in the U.S., millions of college students celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with traditions that have very little to do with Irish culture but can be fun anyway.

One of these traditions can be food. TraditionallyUsually, when you think of Irish food you may think of cabbage rolls or anything with potatoes and corned beef. Yet the most famous food around this time of year is actually the Shamrock Shake. McDonald’s artificially green, mint-flavored drink first appeared in the U.S. in 1970 and has been a cult hit every St Patrick’s Day since.

“My favorite part of this holiday is the crazy food,” graduate student Sara Riad said. “The best is the creamy Shamrock Shake you can get at McDonald’s.”

A second tradition for St. Patrick’s Day can be embracing music.  Listening to upbeat Irish music is crucial, as it keeps the party going. Teens and parents alike enjoy this tradition. Listening to Irish music can be a good idea for a St. Patrick’s Day
tradition if there are any live performances nearby. If not, you can always listen to traditional music such as songs from The Dubliners and The Wolf Tones. However, there’s always modern Irish artists you can listen to as well, such as The Cranberries, The Pogues and U2.

“Music is such a common thing for St. Patrick’s Day, yet all I can think of are people blowing on bagpipes,” freshman Allison Dumlao said. “I think music is such an important part to any holiday and I hope I have the chance to share it.”

Lastly, a simple tradition that anyone can do is to be with friends and family.  The holidays have proven to be a healthy reminder to let the world go on spinning while we connect with people that we love.

We all get stuck in a rut, especially once we start school, jobs and internships. It easily becomes a cycle that repeats itself every week. It can become mind-numbing and boring. Yet that shouldn’t stop us fromembracing this tradition. We need to make time for family and friends, that’s the best way to break this cycle. It’s a way for you to have fun and to bond with the people you’re close to.

“To be honest I don’t really have plans for St. Patrick’s Day,” senior Christa Ryan said. “Most likely I’ll be hanging out with friends and family”.

We all have our own unique traditions and ways to bond; some people don’t do much, others may have an extravagant celebration, yet that shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying themselves. No matter what people say about St. Patrick’s Day, this special holiday actually has more to offer people than you might think — it is a holiday full of family friends, food, music and so much more.