Everyone sees Saint Patrick's Day as a day to go out and get drunk- it is "the culture" of the Irish, isn't it?

Wrong.

While celebrating the holiday is always a good time, there are a lot of stereotypical assumptions about being Irish during the month of March that make it almost cringe-worthy to admit your shamrock heritage.

1. Not every Irish person is an alcoholic.

This is one of the most common, yet hurtful stereotypes about being Irish; when I mention being Irish, the usual response is, "So do you like to drink?" or to offer me a Guinness. Not every person who is Irish likes to drink, and not every person who likes to drink is Irish.

2. Saint Patrick's Day isn't an excuse to be drunk the whole day.

In fact, on Saint Patrick's Day, most of the pubs in Ireland close down in respect to Saint Patrick.

3. Saint Patrick's Day is actually a religious holiday.

Saint Patrick's Day was originally created in honour of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, who successfully converted Ireland to Catholicism.

4. Not everyone wants to kiss you!

It doesn't matter how many "Kiss me, I'm Irish" shirts you buy.

5. It's PADDY, not PATTY!

In Ireland, “There isn’t a sinner in Ireland that would refer to a Patrick as “Patty”. It’s as simple as that.”

However, it is still a holiday, and that means you should celebrate! Be safe and enjoy the wonderful holiday that is Saint Patrick's Day.