It’s finally that time of the spring semester. The weather has teased the incoming spring, classes are in full swing, spring break is in the foreseeable future and the hard work of THON is over and celebrated.
Which can only mean one thing. It’s time for a nearly 20-year-old, beloved and infamous Penn State tradition.
State Patty’s Day.
According to the events Wikipedia page (yeah, this has a whole Wikipedia page), the tradition started when Penn State’s spring break overlapped with Saint Patrick’s Day. This led students to start a movement to move the holiday before break so they could celebrate while in State College.
Despite school being in session during Saint Patrick’s Day, the student-created holiday still occurs the weekend between THON and spring break, much to the dismay of State College and Penn State officials.
For those excited, confused or a little bit of both about their first State Patty’s Day, here are five things that no one tells you about this tradition.
- It’s crazy, but not any more than a big football weekend
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This isn’t to say that State Patty’s is overrated, but I think having this “holiday” in a semester without football skews people’s perception of the event.
It’s possible that the town of State College and Penn State both taking measures to crack down on underage drinking and unruly behavior has tainted the legacy of this once “iconic” partying weekend.
This also is a warning to be safe and be stupid in a smart way. There’s no good excuse for your parents to explain an underage or other citation that begins with “Well, everyone wears green.”
State Patty’s still gets wild, its an excuse to be silly and get crazy, but I can’t say it compares to the energy of a White Out or a home game against Michigan or Ohio.
Maybe it’s because the school doesn’t profit off the delinquency of State Patty’s like they do with football tailgates, that makes the school more on edge this weekend compared to ones in the fall.
- Have your plans locked down in advance
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Are you going to frat daylongs? Are you going to the bars? Is there an apartment party? Who are you going with? When are you pregaming? Do you have a text?
These are all questions that people are used to on a regular weekend, but with emphasis on this weekend being one that everyone wants to go out for and many people have visitors coming into State College for the weekend It’s better to be prepared before the festivities begin.
Frats have to be stricter, bars are going to have crazy lines and people may be less lenient with who they invite into their homes.
You don’t want to be left with nowhere to go if you want to celebrate. So take a little more initiative than you typically do to ensure you’re set up for a great weekend.
- You will be wearing the same outfit as everyone else
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There are only so many variations of State Patty’s puns and green merch. Every store downtown will be doing its own rendition of clothes for this event, but they really all look the same.
I’m all for trying to do something original or unique, but even when you think you’re the only person in this specific green-centric outfit, you won’t be.
Just wear what you want. Think about how long you’ll be out and about, the high possibility of it being cold and you’ll realize you might want to err on the side of comfort and mobility over style.
- State Patty’s Weekend is really just Saturday
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State Patty’s Day is the true tradition, but it seems people refer to the event like it happens the entire weekend.
That’s the day the streets are flooded with students decked out in green to get drunk to celebrate, well, nothing.
Get your work done by Friday to have a stress-free, fun weekend. But the green festivities don’t really happen until Saturday.
- It’s stupid, but it’s tradition
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I’ve tried explaining State Patty’s to my friends attending different schools, but no one understands it fully.
My only friend who came close goes to UMASS Amherst since they have their own Saint Patrick’s Day-themed weekend, “Blarney,” but that’s because they don’t have school during the holiday.
At the end of the day, I think people struggle to understand it because, at its core, it’s kind of stupid.
When the “holiday” started, it was so students could celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day together, but we can still do that now. But it’s tradition, and it is really, really fun.
I’m not even entirely sure what is so special about State Patty’s. But if everyone is down to party and have a good weekend, especially following THON and all the good work done, what’s wrong with that?
For anyone getting ready for their first State Patty’s, take everything in. Enjoy the weekend, have fun with your friends and most importantly, be safe.