RAOK #21 - Do NOT Pinch Me

As you know if you have been reading my blog at all, my birthday is on March 17, which is also St. Patrick's Day.  Having a birthday on a "minor holiday" is sort of cool.  I know someone whose son was born on Christmas.  I would not like to have my birthday on a major holiday like that one.  I hope that kid is at least getting double presents every year! 

Here are some funny things about having a birthday on St. Patrick's day:

~ You will very likely at some point in your life be asked (about 4 dozen times) why you are not named Patricia (or Patrick).  Because I was due in FEBRUARY and my mom didn't know I was going to be born on March 17.  And she already had my name picked out and she wanted to name me "Justina" not Patricia.

~ People will ask you if St. Patrick's Day is on the same date every year. (Well.. duh.  If my birthday is always on St. Patrick's Day, does my actual birth DATE change every year?  No.  This is not like Easter and Thanksgiving where you have to spend 5 minutes trying to find a calendar with U.S. holidays on it to see upon which day it falls.)

~ You will probably get a green cake for your birthday every year until you are about 10 or 11 years old and BEG your family to get you a pink cake for once!

~ People LOVE to buy greeting cards that combine St Patrick's Day and your birthday . . . I have no idea why.  It doesn't bother me and I probably wouldn't even mention this except for the fact that my Grandma J, whom I dearly love and have missed tremendously the last 10 years she has been gone, gave me the same birthday card design three years in a row.  I still don't know if Hallmark was too lazy to come up with a new design and that's what Grandma J had to pick from for 3 years running or if she stocked up one year and figured I wouldn't remember.  It read:                         

"A birthday on St. Patrick's Day means lucky, lucky you".

~ When you have received a birthday card for three years that reads "A birthday on St. Patrick's Day means lucky lucky you", it is best not to tell your children.  Because every single year on your stinkin' birthday they will look at you lovingly and repeat that phrase for the entire week preceding your birthday.  "Mom, your birthday is in 3 days.  And a birthday on St. Patrick's day means lucky lucky you!"

~ Also, one year for your adult birthday your family will present you with a beautiful green cake.  You will say "thank you" and mean it, but wonder how in the heck they missed the story that you've told umpteen times (at their request) about getting a green cake for your birthday all the time when you were a kid.  Then all four of your kids will start ROLLING on the floor laughing at how clever they are and then bring out your REAL cake, which is not green, but is a delicious 6 layer "Dream" cake from the local bakery.  Good one, guys!

~ You always know you have to wear green on your birthday.  Every year. Or you will get pinched.  On your birthday.


This brings me to my point.  One thing that I have never loved about St. Patrick's day is this moronic tradition of pinching people if they are not wearing green.  St. Patrick was a saint who legend says performed miracles, baptized thousands of people, and converted people to Christ.  The reason why the shamrock is linked to St. Patrick's Day is because Patrick used the 3 leaves of the shamrock to explain the Christian Trinity - a triune God that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one. (If what I just said is Gaelic to you, call or email me.  I'd love to explain.)

What in the world does any of that have to do with pinching?  (Or green beer for that matter.)

I probably wouldn't mind too much except I have to wear green on my birthday every year because of some ridiculous tradition, and more importantly, some people pinch HARD.  I mean, I've seen people grab flesh and twist and gouge until the other person's arm is really red and you know that hurts.  I really don't find it funny much. 

So, this year I am borrowing a printable from another website I read and creating these cute PINCH PROOF buttons.  The blog writer goes to all this trouble to hot glue little pins to the back, but I'm not.  I've printed them out on card stock and I'm just going to stick that thick double stick mounting tape on the back so people can put it on their clothes and then throw it away.

I'm publishing this RAOK before I have actually done it because I don't want you to get pinched!  If you don't want to wear green or don't have anything green just print one of these babies out before Saturday and have it ready to tape or safety pin to your clothes.

My RAOK will be to have a baggie full of these and pass them out to everyone I see on March 17 that is not wearing green.  Instead of getting bodily injuries, they'll get a pass this year!

I'm new to this blog thing but I don't want to be guilty of stealing anyone's thunder so go to Darling Doodles blog to download the file and enjoy not being pinched this year!!