College students love St. Patrick’s Day, however, on many campuses this manifests itself in binge drinking, silly green outfits, and bad jokes about the Irish. Next year, consider incorporating some of these St. Patrick’s Day traditions into your celebrations as a way to actually honor Irish culture and heritage.

1. Switch Up Your Clothing

While many people have heard of the wear green or get pinched tradition on St. Patrick’s Day, few people, however, know that the original tradition didn’t involve covering yourself in green at all. Instead, according to Yourirish.com, people should wear a small bunch of shamrocks over their breast to show pride in their heritage. These Shamrocks are blessed by priests all over Ireland in a ceremony known as Blessing of the Shamrock.

Alternatively, The Telegraph Uk, suggests wearing the colors of the flag: green, white, and orange, to show your pride.

2. Cook and Eat an Irish Meal

This can be corned beef and cabbage, mashed potatoes, Shepherd's Pie, or many other popular dishes. You can make these items more Irish by exchanging the corned beef for bacon, which is what the Irish ate with their cabbage before coming to America. A USA Today article reports that the Irish switched their meats because bacon was too expensive for many immigrants.

3. Engage with Irish Art

Music, film, and books are a great way to support Irish culture. USA Today recommends listening to songs and composers such as, Finnegan’s Wake and the Clancy brothers. Although he isn’t Irish, Percy Grainger did several fantastic arrangements of Irish Folk Songs that are also worth a listen. Reading popular Irish authors, such as James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift or WB Yeats, is a great way to honor the Irish. For a more shocking read however, consider Dracula. USA Today reports that Bram Stoker was Irish!