A busy day of laughing, dancing and drinking, without any signs of green beer or cartoon leprechauns, would last late into the night, as everyone in Ireland takes the day off from work or school to celebrate the national holiday.
Instead, Kelly, an agricultural business junior, is in East Lansing looking over conservation terms and environmental efficiency policies, hoping to get a good grade.
But when the test is over, Kelly will be hitting the local pubs in East Lansing to find out what the celebration is like on this side of the Atlantic.
"It's great that this is such an international event," he said. "I haven't been over here for very long, so this is totally a new experience."
Kelly said he would be expanding his St. Patrick's Day horizons today, hoping to try green beer and an "Irish Car Bomb" - a mix of Bailey's Irish Cream, Guinness Stout and Jameson Whiskey - for the first time.
"My roommate convinced me that I have to do an Irish Car Bomb," Kelly said, adding that the drink sounded disgusting.
While Kelly said he's anxious for St. Patrick's Day, he added that it won't be the same without all of the traditions he left behind in Ireland.
The day would start at an early Catholic mass in St. Patrick's name, the man the Irish honor for bringing Christianity to Irish pagans almost 1,600 years ago.
"At least one of the masses is spoken in Gaelic, and that's the one we try to go to," Kelly said.
His father would gather bunches of shamrocks from a field near his home, and each member of his family would pin the emerald leaves on his or her shirt, he said.
As onlookers would crowd sidewalks to watch traditional dancers in local parades and thousands of enthused fans would crowd Croke Park Stadium in Dublin for the Gaelic football club championships, Kelly and his pals would crowd into one of the many pubs for drinks and live Irish music - just the same as he's done for the past three years.
"Now that I'm here, I realize more how significant St. Patrick's Day is for Irish people," he said. "I'll definitely be thinking about home."
While Kelly prepared for his test Tuesday night, a dozen men and women in DeWitt were preparing to perform.
In the basement of the DeWitt Community Center, the constant droning and melodic hums of bagpipes mixed with crisp drum rolls and beats.
The Glen Erin Pipe & Drum Band was getting ready for the busiest day of its year, which would culminate in a benefit concert this evening at the Marshall Street Armory in Lansing.
"Tomorrow's a big day," said band manager and bagpiper Terry Carroll laughingly. "We're bringing culture to the colonies!"
Carroll, who originally hails from County Clare in Ireland, has played with the group since its formation in 1982. Practicing in traditional garb from kilt to cap, he even wears green earplugs.
"I served in the Air Force for Uncle Sam," he said. "That took some of my hearing and the pipes have taken the rest."
Band drum sergeant Doug Campbell said he looks forward to this day every year, despite the hard work put into it.
He said he'll spend today traveling from bar to bar to play before joining up with the rest of the band at the armory.
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He added that calling the pubs beforehand is optional.
"We just show up," he said. "You walk in and you play for 15 minutes and you walk out to the next one.
"You're busy and, at the end of the day, you're exhausted, but it's fun."
One place that the band members said they'd stop was Moriarty's Pub, 802 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, an Irish bar in Lansing.
The pub will be serving traditional Irish food along with the usual Irish drinking fare - Guinness and Jameson Whiskey.
"Last year, we sold out of corned beef and cabbage by 8 p.m.," manager Betsie Janson said. "We expect a lot of hungry eaters."
Janson said St. Patrick's Day always brings an exciting crowd to the pub, and she expects to do great business.
"It's always a great party," she said. "It's like Mardi Gras for the Irish world."
But it's not as much of a party for Mark Bosworth, an on-premises sales manager for M & M Distributors in Lansing, one of the region's chief green beer producers - it's hard work.
The manager injected about 280 barrels of beer this week, using a pressurized carbon dioxide-powered tool invented by a worker in his warehouse.
"No matter how hard you try, you can't stop from getting the green dye all over you," Bosworth said. "It comes out of your clothes pretty good, but it takes a little while to get it off your hands."
Even with green fingers, Bosworth said he enjoys the festivities of St. Patrick's Day and plans to have a taste of his emerald concoction.
"It's fun for me," he said. "It's a tradition."
St. Patrick probably would be shocked at the explosion of green and the day-long rush to the bars in remembrance of his name. The religious holiday originally marked his death on March 17, around 460 A.D. The day has been honored for hundreds of years as a break from the Lenten season, with celebrations that included dancing, drinking and eating a traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. The Irish-American holiday now has transformed from religious observance to a focus on shamrock shirts and drinks.
As you're reading this, many bars already will have opened their doors to accommodate people who started out the day early with a little extra Irish spirit. So whether you're in search of green beer or hoping to boost your Irish spirits, local restaurants and watering holes are happy to accommodate - all day long.
Bennigan's
2085 W. Grand River Ave. in Okemos
(517) 349-2321
The Blarney Blast will feature a different drink special every hour on the hour. Live bagpipe performance at 4 p.m. with authentic Irish dancers. Green beer and corned beef and cabbage specials all day. Opens at 11 a.m., kitchen closes at 12 a.m., bar closes at 2 a.m.
Buffalo Wild Wings
360 Albert Ave.
(517) 333-2999
A complimentary green eggs and ham breakfast will meet early risers on a first-come, first-served basis. Green beer will be available all day. 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. no cover, 21 and up all day.
Claddagh Irish Pub
2900 Towne Center Blvd. in Lansing
(517) 484-2523
Live bands will be performing all day, along with Irish step dancers and then bagpipes from 6 to 8 p.m. The kitchen will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight to tickle your tastebuds with Irish delights from the pub's regular menu. Big Daddy Taxi service has been hired from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. to assure everyone a safe ride home.
Harper's Restaurant & Brewpub
131 Albert Ave.
(517) 333-4040
Irish food specials all day long and live entertainment featuring Jerry Sprague from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Brian Westrin from 7 to 10 p.m. and house DJs from 10 p.m. to close. Open 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., $5 cover, 21 and up.
Houlihan's
5723 W. Saginaw
(517) 323-3550
Corned beef and cabbage special for $9.99, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., lounge open until 2 a.m.
The Irish Pub & Grill
1910 W. Saginaw St. in Lansing
(517) 482-3916
The green beer will be flowing from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., and bagpipers will perform every two hours. A Pub Crawl and Q106 live broadcast will begin at 2 p.m. No cover, 21 and up.
Moriarty's Pub
502 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing
(517) 485-5287
Live music, a traveling bagpiper, visitors from the School of Irish Dance to entertain those enjoying the authentic Irish whiskey, beer, corned beef and cabbage. No green beer will be had here. 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., no cover, 21 and up.
P.T. O'Malley's
210 Abbott Road
(517) 332-2959
Doors open for french toast and eggs at 7 a.m. No cover for the first 50 people. $6 cover for breakfast 7 to 9:30 a.m. and $5 the rest of the day until 2 a.m., 21 and up only.
• For those still living below the law or hoping to experience some Irish cheer outside of the local pub, there are other opportunities to enjoy the luck o' the Irish without the drink this week.
"Luck of the Irish": C.A.T. Gallery-Creative Art for Today
515 1/2 E. Grand River Ave. in Lansing
(517) 853-8580
An exhibit of photographs of Ireland by Kim Hoxworth. Runs from March 1 to March 31. Artist's reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m tonight.
Shamrock 5K Run, Walk, and Roll
Presented by the Michigan State University Tower Guard
Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the run begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Auditorium Field on the southeast corner of Farm Lane and Auditorium Road. There is an $18 registration fee on the day of the race. All proceeds will benefit the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, and winning runners will receive prizes. For more information, visit msu.edu/~towergrd.
