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Orange

March 29, 2010

When I was young, maybe 7 or 8, my grandmother (the great Mary Anna Bella Minnie Hanton Tobias) told me that when Scots celebrate St. Patricks’ Day, they wear orange, not green.  So for years, I did just that.

Anybody who is Scottish or Irish knows where this story is headed, but the rest of you probably do not.  This is secret insider information that I hope the Scottish Illuminati doesn’t come and shut my website down.

So, one day at college in Kalamazoo, I go out with friends and head home when three Irish guys jump me. 

I find out later that the Orange Order was a group of Scottish Protestants that terrorized Irish Catholics and that wearing orange on St. Paddy’s Day was a big up yours to the Irish.   See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Institution.   I wish we had Wikipedia growing up!

I bet I am one of the few people who got beat up because their grandmother played a practical joke on them.   If your grandma tells you to wear orange on St. Patrick’s Day, gonnae no’ dae that!

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5 Comments leave one →
  1. March 29, 2010 8:47 pm

    Ha! I did not know you had a blog Eric!

    You know orange is my favorite color, but as a scot-Irish, I never wear it on SPDay silly boy…always green!

    Love this…

    Chef E
    http://tmi-blogspot.com/

  2. Rob permalink
    March 29, 2010 9:07 pm

    lmao, great story!

  3. Dan Hanton permalink
    March 29, 2010 10:35 pm

    Great story Eric. I think you told me that before. Our Irish cousins would be interested I am sure! Dan

  4. March 30, 2010 6:57 am

    Your Great grandmother, Mary Ann did the same to me. When I started reading more about our ancestors, it is a good guess that on her side of the family they came from Ireland. so throw out the Orange and put on the green.
    Gloria

  5. March 30, 2010 3:55 pm

    Eric,

    Yep – that’s funny! Gotta love a Grandma with the sense of humor that will cause you to get your ass kicked! Wish I had been there in K-Zoo at the time, Ida had yo back!

    Schultzie

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