By Kari Merrill
In Chicago, people celebrate by dyeing the Chicago River green. Residents and officials in Quebec, Canada, have hosted annual parades since 1824. Manchester, England, holds a two-week Irish festival before the day. And though Provo may not be the center of Irish culture, students across BYU are celebrating St. Patrick?s Day, too.
?I?m in an Irish dance class,? said Ben Lloyd, a BYU student from Soldotna, Alaska. ?What we?re doing for class is dressing up Irish.?
Even though there aren?t any major campus events, St. Patrick?s Day can still be a fun holiday, said Thomas Graham, a freshman studying film.
?I like to celebrate any time, and this gives me a reason,? he said.
He and his friend, Kevin Hansen, a freshman studying exercise science, are planning to celebrate with friends.
?We?ll probably have our own little party and make cookies with green frosting,? Graham said.
Another St. Patrick?s Day option is sending flowers to a friend or loved one. Campus Craft and Floral is offering special St. Patrick?s Day arrangements, as well as several other florists in the Provo area.
The Skyroom Restaurant in the Wilkinson Center is celebrating St. Patrick?s Day by offering a special holiday buffet menu, including several Irish classics.
Silja Levanen, a sophomore, said though she doesn?t have any plans currently, she thinks St. Patrick?s Day is a great day to celebrate.
?I like Irish culture and I really want to go there. It?s a very beautiful culture and happy,? she said. ?For St. Patrick?s Day I definitely think one thing to do is wear green. It?s not that hard. Everyone has something green in their wardrobe. Find it and wear it.?
Levanen also said some fun ideas for the day are dressing as leprechauns or partying with green food. She said scavenger hunts could also be a fun activity.
Besides celebrating St. Patrick?s Day, several BYU students are celebrating their birthdays.
Lindsay Nelson, a freshman from Sandy, said St. Patrick?s Day is an ?awesome? holiday and loves having it as her birthday.
?I always forget, but when I remember, I think it?s the coolest birthday ever,? she said.
Josh Adams also has a St. Patrick?s Day birthday. He said many people are of Irish heritage and it?s sad how few take the chance to celebrate it.
?No one cares about St. Patrick?s Day, and it bothers me,? he said.
One of his favorite things to do for the holiday is watch ?Darby O?Gill and the Little People.? He said he also enjoys just having fun.
Adams said once when he was younger, he went searching for leprechauns with his brother and sister for his birthday and even found a rainbow, but the craziest thing he has ever done is painting himself green and running around outside.
Whether pinching people or looking for leprechauns, rainbows, clovers, or pots of gold, Adams said to make sure to enjoy the holiday, and remember the rich history behind it.
