No need to fear, the month of green is here. But if you are scared of people touching you without permission, there is need to fear.

College students are too old to be pinching people for not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day.  

Someone not wearing green is not a good excuse for a grown person to pinch them.

As a person who is not too fond of people touching me, I used to get nervous on St. Patrick’s Day in elementary school—especially if I forgot to wear green.

It was more acceptable then because most children don’t know any better or don’t think about the fact that they might be crossing another’s boundaries by unexpectedly touching them.

But as people over the age of 16, this should not be a problem.

I’m not saying that you can’t make fun of your friends for not wearing green or maybe even pinch them if you know them well. But don’t pinch acquaintances or people you do not know.   

It seems like a small innocent act, but it makes some uncomfortable. 

You can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without interfering with one’s personal space and disrespecting other people’s boundaries and bodies. 

For example, you can make green food, go looking for shamrocks or even visit one of the local Irish pubs. But pinching is unnecessary. 

This is a passed down tradition that’s supposed to be amusing, and I certainly don’t think it will end anytime soon.  

But be aware of what you are doing and how others may perceive what you are doing to them. 

Not everyone likes a random person grabbing them—even if it’s just for holiday fun.