The exact date of the first
Green Beer Day has been lost to history. Several sources
cite March 1952 as the likely date of the inaugural event.
The Student newspaper published an article on March 14,
1952, discussing the consumption of "traditional dark
green-colored beer" at The Purity - a long-gone bar Uptown.
Since the newspapers are published on Friday, one can
surmise that the original GBD, then, would have been March
13, 1952 - the day before.
The event lives on every year in Oxford primarily due to the
University's scheduling of Spring Break over the St.
Patrick's Day holiday. Students each year make the rite of
passage and celebrate the Thursday before Spring Break as
their alternative St. Patty's Day. Green beer, jell-o
shots, and mixed drinks flow from 5:30am - the earliest you
can begin pouring alcohol by law in the state of Ohio.
Green t-shirts, beads, hats, stickers, tattoos, and all
manner of accessories are assembled and worn throughout the
day as students wake up at the butt crack of dawn and line
up Uptown for entry into the hallowed halls of green beerdom.
Irish bands, DJ's and live music are offered for
entertainment all day long. After imbibing in a green beer
or two it is traditional to try to make it to class. The
restaurants Uptown serve green eggs and ham, green bagels
with green cream cheese, and offer food specials throughout
the day to satisfy the mid-morning booze-induced munchies.
History is what you make of it and for most students,
partaking in Green Beer Day as many times as possible is the
goal. Make history on March 13, 2008 as GBD08
commences and help us make this the greatest Green Beer Day
of them all!
Got a story?
Tell us.
Got some good video?
Share it.
Take a look at some old school coverage of Green Beer Day:
March_14_1996.pdf
March_6_1997.pdf
March_5_1998.pdf
March_9_2000.pdf |
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