In light of St. Patrick’s Day, students are preparing for Irish festivities whether they have Irish heritage or not.

St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, is named after Saint Patrick, a recognized patron saint in Ireland. The holiday represents the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Saint Patrick is said to have used a green, three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. Over the years, the holiday has become more of a worldly celebration involving green attire, shamrocks and parades or festivals.

Taylor Borman, a senior majoring in communication, is Irish and wishes Stevens Point would have an Irish festival to attend.

“Point should really get it together and create something for us Irish folks,” Borman said. “Instead, I will probably wear green, reminisce about my trip I had last summer in Ireland and maybe purchase some Guinness and have my own St. Patty’s Day party.”

Megan Grefe, a former student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is planning on going to a huge celebration at Clancey’s Stone Lion in downtown Custer, WI.

“There are three bars in the area who all participate, so it brings a lot of people out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,” Grefe said.

Last year was Grefe’s first time attending the celebration, and she had a blast. Other than attending the celebration, she doesn’t have any other traditions.

Lindsay Serakos, a senior majoring in arts management, doesn’t currently have any plans, but she did last year in Minnesota.

“I went up north to Crosslake and watched the St. Patrick’s Day parade,” Serakos said.

Borman also spent St. Patrick’s Day in Minnesota last year, watching her cousins dance at Irish Fest.

“It’s always a good time and my uncle always goes to the event too with a kilt and all. I got to watch him compete in the official ‘Best Legs in a Kilt’ show last Irish Fest in St. Paul, and that was pretty entertaining,” Borman said.

Every year, Borman tries to attend the festival and see her cousins perform.

“Some of my family members even take the holiday to the next level, like my grandpa who would dye his hair green every year,” Borman said.

Rebecca Finger, a senior majoring in art, will be traveling this year for St. Patrick’s Day.

“I’m going to Milwaukee with my boyfriend and some friends to do a pub crawl,” Finger said.

Finger has some Irish heritage on her father’s side.

Hollie Raab, who is also 10 percent Irish, plans on traveling to New Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day this year.

Serakos doesn’t have any personal ties to St. Patrick’s Day, but she doesn’t think that you need to be Irish in order to celebrate the holiday.

“Since St. Patrick’s Day represents the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, it doesn’t really have anything to do with being Irish,” Serakos said.

Monica Lenius, a junior majoring in communication, plans on spending the day with her sorority sisters.

“It’s my sorority’s Founder’s Day, so we’re going to have a Founder’s Day celebration and then I’m not sure— probably just spend the day with my sisters,” Lenius said.

Last year, Lenius spent St. Patrick’s Day on the road traveling.

“I was on my way to PCB because it was right before spring break, so I was trapped in the backseat of a car,” Lenius said.

Lenius thinks that St. Patrick’s Day is a good holiday for Irish awareness and a good excuse to get drunk.

Raab agrees, adding that she likes how the bars dye their beer green for the holiday.

“Overall, I think that the holiday is just a reason to party more,” Raab said.