Flocks of Ohio University students could be spotted sporting shamrocks on Court Street to celebrate Green Beer Day on Wednesday.
Green Beer Day is a product of when OU was on the quarter system and St. Patrick’s Day fell during spring break. As a result, students opted to go to the bars early and drink colored beer to celebrate.
“(I like) the camaraderie,” Tony Viola, a senior studying marketing, said. “Everyone’s wearing green. Everyone’s out here to have fun and drink good beer.”
The tradition was taken from Miami University, but OU stuck with it after the switch from quarters to semesters in 2012.
“I know Miami does Green Beer Day, and OU does it a day before Miami, so it’s cool we try to show them up,” Alexis Urbano, a senior studying nursing, said. “We definitely have a better time than they do.”
Despite the origins in Oxford, some students argue Athens has made Green Beer Day its own.
“It’s a good way for everyone to celebrate OU in its own way,” Baileigh La Rue, a junior studying fashion merchandising and product development, said.
The beer’s festive color typically comes from manufacturers, not the bars themselves, according to a previous Post report. As for the taste, Michelle Mwaura was not too pleased.
“It tastes like crap, but I can’t really complain since it was only $2,” Mwaura, a senior studying journalism, said of the drink on her first Green Beer Day. “I don’t even drink beer really, but it’s just a fun social activity.”
Although some students decided to blow off steam after classes, others opted to hit the bars early.
“I skipped my classes today for this,” Brooke Galvin, a junior studying marketing, said. “I’m Irish, so I like celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with my friends.”
Jaleeka Freckleton, a junior who lives above The Pigskin Bar and Grille, said she feels as though she has to join in on the fun.
“I basically have no choice but to attend because of the noise,” she said. “It’s either stay in and be mad or come out and get drunk, but I like the spirit. People are just festive because of the color of the beer, I guess.”
Dylan Pickering, a senior studying communication and media management, spent his first Green Beer Day with his friends and said he was having a great time so far.
“I always celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but I’ve always been gone for Green Beer Day, so this is my first, just in time for graduation,” he said. “I love the atmosphere — everyone is already having fun. It’s a blast.”
