St. Patrick's Day

There are several beloved traditions, like St. Patrick's Day, that we continue to celebrate without knowing the purpose or meaning behind. Born in 387 A.D, Saint Patrick served as a Roman-British Christian missionary in the 5th century and continues to represent the Irish nation in more ways than one. He is not only known as the “Apostle of Ireland” but is the official patron saint of Ireland as well.

Here’s a look at a few of the most iconic traditions we continue for the luck of the Irish.

1. Corned Beef and Cabbage: As a substitute for bacon, the Irish-American immigrants used corned beef in the late 19th century as a variant of the Irish dish for bacon and cabbage.

2. Leprechauns: Unlike the adorable redhead who has graced the Lucky Charms cereal for decades, leprechauns, or “lobaircins,” are actually male fairies from Irish mythology who are said to have inhabited the nation before the Celts arrived. They serve as cobblers or shoemakers who are notorious for mischief, and according to legend, if you hold eye-contact with him, he cannot escape your presence until the gaze is broken.

3. Shamrocks: Commonly referred to as three-leafed clovers that are native to Ireland. Therefore, it was chosen as the national emblem because St. Patrick used the emblem to represent the doctrine of the biblical Trinity.

4. The Pinching: Did you forget your green shirt or accessory on March 17th, only to find yourself being pinched all day at work? Well, this tradition originated from the Irish immigrants who believed that wearing green made you invisible to leprechauns, who would pinch anyone they could see. So pinching those who weren’t wearing green would remind them the leprechauns might sneak up on them!

So until next St. Paddy’s Day, “May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.”

It's Spring Break!

We all know it’s the time of year when college students around the country flock to tropical locations for sunburns, partying with strangers, and forget about their impending finals. After seven months of all-nighters, twenty-somethings are ready to let loose and get down (and maybe become MTV famous) at iconic spring break destinations across the country.

Wait, is this really only for college kids? I mean, we’ve been working hard too. College students aren't the only ones benefiting from spring break though. Advertisers know how to follow this generation (all that buying power and brand alliance is too sweet) and have come up with some interesting ways to reach them.

This is a promotion's paradise; planes fly with aerial banners and brands sponsor everything from frisbees to oxygen bars across the beach. We promote our products, our services, and our discounts. Everyone's favorite word is “FREE,” so advertisers put it in the sky to get the most attention possible from beach-goers.

Seriously, could anyone turn down “FREE”?

MTV isn’t the only brand sponsoring spring break anymore; millennial products are fighting for space to put their logos. Advertising is everywhere, from sponsoring events to putting ads on pillowcases being passed through the crowd. They're reaching their 18-24 year old target in positive and fun ways, putting their brand right into those memories (not all of them are hazy, hopefully).

So no, students aren’t the only ones going on spring break anymore; their favorite brands are going with them (and spending a wopping $75 million on average).

Let’s just hope everyone is remembering sunscreen.

Groupies In Space

Scott Kelly returned this week from his year in space and it got the groupies thinking, that's 8160 hours in space! Scott Kelley spent a lot of his 340 days in space doing biology experiments but he also floated around in a gorilla suit and created water ping pong. He even appeared on Jimmy Fallon, making him our new favorite astronaut.

So we asked our groupies, what would you do with your year in space?

AnnaLee is going to run NASA's cutest set of experiments yet.

“I would totally have to experiment on a bunch of cute fuzzy kittens and how they play with catnip laden crocheted mice and balls of yarn and how they react in space… can they still jump nimbly from space tree to space tree? I foresee lots of cuteness uploaded to the youtube featuring space kittens.” 

Brooke needs to make sure she stays busy.

“I’d probably end up going crazy like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. “All work and no play, makes Brooke a dull girl.””

Crystal is going to make some new friends.

"I am not much of a reader but I guess with all that time on my hands, I could be now. I am also a talker so I would need to find a loved object and carry one long in depth conversations with it to keep me sane (kinda like a Wilson).” 

Expect some mail from Rebecca.

“I’d probably do a lot of catching up with friends via email. Ha!…They do have email out there, right? 

Okay, I just looked it up to be sure. We’re good, guys! (*Friends and family beware.)"

Kaci is taking lessons from Mark Watney.

“I would probably grow some potatoes and teach myself how to ration properly and maybe learn some handicrafts.”

Pam is doing the peoples choice, binging Netflix.

“If I had a year in space and no terribly demanding science jobs I would read and watch all the movies I never seem to have time to do here on earth!!!”

Tj is going to become Youtube famous and eat a lot of M&Ms.

"I would spend a lot of time playing my guitar and making a YouTube channel of song covers, Chris Hadfield style. I would avoid alcohol at all costs because the idea of getting drunk in space sounds terrifying. I would probably end up spending most of my time catching M&Ms in my mouth in zero gravity."

And Natalia really has her priorities straight.

"If I had a year to myself I would probably sleep A LOT.  I would also do some flips since I’ve never been able to do that on land or trampoline."