A look at the trivia, traditions and trends of St. Patrick's Day

Nothin' wrong with a wee bit o' fun on St. Patrick's Day, which will be observed Friday by devout Catholics and March 17 by everybody else.

On St. Patrick's Day, we honor Ireland's patron saint, warble a verse of "Danny Boy," raise a pint of ale and flash the customary green. In the United States, green worn on St. Patrick's Day is said to ward off those who would otherwise pinch us.

Green is Ireland's national color. It's also the color of the lucky four-leaf clover and festive St. Patrick's Day beer.

So, rinse off the Irish Spring and finish off a bowl of Lucky Charms. Then allow us to green up your day. -- Dan Vierria

Piety first

Holy Week is a time for penance, not partying.

And that is why leaders of the Roman Catholic Church have asked followers to observe St. Patrick's Day a few days early this year.

For the first time in 70 years, the saint's day falls during Holy Week, the seven days before Easter, considered the most solemn time of the year for Catholics.

In many cities, school celebrations, Masses and other church-related activities will be held Friday or earlier, in accordance with a liturgical ruling that no Mass in honor of the saint can be celebrated March 17. -- Jennifer Garza

A toast, a toast!

This St. Patrick's Day, "going green" is as easy as quaffing an Irish Car Bomb. This indelicately named creation is a trifecta of Guinness stout, Bailey's Irish Cream and Jameson's Irish Whiskey. The combustible combination goes something like this: Put the Bailey's in a shot glass, add the Jameson's, then drop the shot glass into a mug of Guinness. Down it before you notice any weird flavors that might arise from combining cream, whiskey and a stout beer. -- Rachel Leibrock

Look like a mint, ladies

Green is such an easy color to incorporate into a St. Patrick's Day fashion and beauty statement.

Nothing says you're up for a good time more than having all 10 fingernails painted in Green With Envy, an oh-so-brilliant shade from Jessica polish. And you'll be environmentally green, too, because the polish is eco-friendly. (That means no toluene, formaldehyde or pthalates.)

Pair the polish with Vincent Longo Eye Shimmer Souffle in Oasis (a pale green), and your Irish eyes will be smiling the day through.

Now, what to wear?

If you're going casual, Juicy Couture just debuted a cute, green print micro-terry short-sleeve hoodie with puff sleeves. Wear it with either the coordinating shorts or your favorite jeans. -- Leigh Grogan

Irish reel

Many of the standout Irish films of recent decades have focused on either the Irish rebellion from Britain and the subsequent civil war (1916-22) or the decades-long struggle -- "The Troubles" -- between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.

For the rebellion and its aftermath, check out Neil Jordan's "Michael Collins" (1996), starring Liam Neeson as the embattled nationalist leader, and Ken Loach's "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (2006), a gritty look at a band of rebels starring Cillian Murphy. John Ford's 1935 film "The Informer," starring Victor McLagen in an Oscar-winning role as a man who gives information to the British about Irish rebels, is powerful.

Turning to Northern Ireland, Carol Reed's "Odd Man Out" (1947), starring James Mason as an IRA leader on the run, is an excellent earlier effort, while Paul Greengrass' "Bloody Sunday" (2002) dramatizes a Catholic protest march for rights in Derry that was attacked by British troops.

Jim Sheridan has made great dramas about Northern Ireland, writing, producing and directing "In the Name of the Father" (1993) and "The Boxer" (1997), both starring Daniel Day-Lewis, and writing and producing "Some Mother's Son" (1996), starring Helen Mirren as the mother of an imprisoned Catholic hunger striker.

Sheridan's work also includes "My Left Foot" (1989), for which Day-Lewis won his first Best Actor Oscar, playing a disabled young man in Dublin; "Into the West" (1993), which Mike Newell directed from Sheridan's script about two boys and a horse on the run from the law; and "In America" (2003), a poignant story of a recent Irish immigrant family's experiences in New York City.

For visions of rural Ireland, check out John Sayles' "The Secret of Roan Inish" (1994), a tale about mythical sea creatures set in the small fishing village of Donegal; and Pat O'Connor's "Dancing at Lughnasa" (1998), an adaptation of Brian Friel's Tony Award-winning play about five sisters sharing a home in 1930s Ireland. -- Bruce Dancis

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)