American Confused After Being Told It Would Be Offensive To Wear Orange On St. Patrick’s Day
Pixel-Shot / ShutterstockEvery year on St. Patrick's Day, it's tradition to break out the green shirts, shamrock accessories, and festive drinks in honor of Irish culture. However, one American was baffled after being told that wearing the bright orange outfit she had planned was a bad idea.
The woman was quickly informed that the color choice might be considered offensive, which left her even more confused. What seems like a harmless wardrobe choice is connected to a rich history of Irish politics, and it's a bigger deal than most might realize.
A woman in Ireland tried to warn a tourist not to wear orange on St. Patrick's Day.
In the Reddit post, the woman explained that she's Canadian, but she's currently staying with her Irish partner in Ireland. Recently, some of her friends from Canada decided to visit for St. Patrick's Day, along with another group of people from the United States that the woman didn't know. When sharing their plans for the holiday, one of the American girls showed a picture of the outfit she was planning to wear, which was a bright orange crop top and skirt set.
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"While it was very cute, I told her she probably shouldn’t wear orange given the connotation in Ireland and that green is generally the colour worn," the woman wrote in the post. The American woman replied that she knows this, but she wanted to wear orange to stand out and because it is also one of the colors in Ireland's flag. She tried to explain that there is some controversial context to the color orange, and the American woman would be likely to get some funny looks and comments while out in public.
However, her good-natured advice wasn't received well, and she was accused of "being condescending and gatekeeping, acting like I’m better because I live here and basically insinuated I’m jealous and don’t want her to look good/stand out." Now, the woman is wondering if she was in the wrong for bringing it up at all, even though she was just trying to do the right thing.
Wearing orange on St. Patrick's Day in Ireland isn't unheard of, but it is uncommon because of its historical significance.
On the Irish flag, the color green represents the Catholic community and nationalism, while the color orange symbolizes Protestants who historically supported Britain. Orange became associated with Protestant heritage when the Protestant king William of Orange conquered the Catholic king, James II of England, at the Battle of the Boyne in the 17th century.
St. Patrick's Day celebrates Irish culture and the patron saint, Saint Patrick, and most people choose to wear green in celebration of Irish culture and folklore. Wearing orange, on the other hand, can be seen as a political or religious statement, particularly in places like Northern Ireland, where historical divisions are still prevalent.
In many places, it's not considered a serious or offensive action, but it's still generally customary to sport the color green on St. Patrick's Day. "So it’s a distinction that really is interesting, but it’s also a poignant reminder for us as to how divisive some of our history is," historian Cheryl White explained. "And something as simple as St. Patrick’s Day, which seems like a really fun thing to celebrate, a great Irish saint and a great tradition of Christianity, can be divided like that."
Most people agreed that the woman did the right thing and that it was disrespectful to get upset about the advice.
Most commenters agreed that the woman was right to tell the American woman that wearing orange isn't a good idea and that her reaction was unwarranted. One said, "Aside from the entire aspect about the significance of orange on Saint Patrick's Day, I find it really annoying when people ask for input or an opinion about something when their mind is already made up. If you were just going to argue about something then why did you ask for their opinion in the first place??"
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Some mentioned that tourists have a responsibility to be respectful and follow the customs of another country when visiting. Another shared, "At the very least, the friend is being rude. When in someone else’s country, you follow the local laws and traditions."
A few commenters noted that it likely wouldn't be a major offense to wear orange on the holiday, but the situation still serves as a valuable lesson in Irish history. The American woman has the right to do or wear whatever she wants, but she will benefit the most if she takes the time to engage with the culture and learn a few things.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
