Jan Franklin’s great-great-grandfather was Irish, so she alwaystries to find fun ways to honor the traditions of St. Patrick’sDay.

“I always wear green,” she said. “And is the pinching thingtraditional? I remember when we were children and people would comeup and pinch you if you weren’t wearing green.”

Franklin, a Wal-Mart employee, said she enjoys this time of yearwhen the green decorations, hats, necklaces and other paraphernaliahit the racks.

Other area businesses capitalize on the once-Irish holiday,which is now an “everyone holiday.”

“We’ve had one person order a four-leaf clover cake,” said LeeReed, an employee at Janie’s Pastry Shoppe. “Ms. Janie can makeanything. She’s going to use her heart-shaped pan to make theleaves.”

Reed said there were also plenty of clover-shaped cookies andSt. Patrick’s Day cupcakes to go around, but when the weekend hits,that may not be the case anymore.

“We’ll probably sell out of them tomorrow and Saturday,” shesaid Thursday.

To some area residents, St. Patrick’s Day poses a chance forsocial fun that breaks the routine. Eighteen-year-old AmandaTaylor, of Wesson, said she planned to join friends for the paradesin Jackson.

“I’m just going to hang with friends this year,” she said. “It’sa fun time to go out and do other things. And the parades arealways pretty.”

Meanwhile, Brookhaven Parks Commission employee Valerie Moorehas similar plans. She attends the holiday parades yearly inJackson.

“There are parades, but also there are a lot of festivities,”she said. “We definitely plan on attending this year too.”

Brookhaven’s Doretha Trunner said her family has already plannedthe green vegetables and corned beef they’ll eat on Saturday.

“And we’re gonna wear green,” she said. “My son John thinks he’sIrish. He’s a Notre Dame fan.”

Wesson resident Carrie Hall, 18, said she’s already taken careof the projected St. Paddy’s pinching problem.

“I’ve already bought a shirt from Old Navy,” she said. “It’sgreen with a horseshoe and a four-leaf clover on it.”

But in the midst of all the preparation and celebration, thereare some foggy ideas about the actual origin of the holiday.

St. Patrick is credited with casting all the snakes out ofIreland, among other miracles he is said to have performed. He alsoCatholicized the Celtics, who were pagan Druids. St. Patrick’s Dayhonors his death on March 17.

While they plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, some people werenot quite sure of its origin.

“I thought it was about a pot of gold at the end of therainbow,” said Trunner.

Moore was equally stymied.

“I think it’s about luck, and Irish people?” she said. “They’reIrish, I know that.”

Hall and Taylor brought up the little people.

“It’s the leprechauns,” said Hall. “And pots of gold.”

In reality, the leprechauns and pots of gold have nothing to dowith St. Patrick’s Day. Also unrelated are the fairly recenttraditions of pinching and green beer.

Ironically, in spite of all the “Hallmark” hype, St. Patrick’sDay is exactly what its name states: A day to celebrate the life ofa saint.

But have a green cupcake while you celebrate.