This April 20, Columbia goes green!

What a happy day it is! Bright sun, cool breeze, and a celebratory air permeating campus. Verily I say unto thee, celebrate and enjoy this holiday!

For those of you who do not yet know the import of today’s date, April 20 (known colloquially as 4/20) is National Lima Bean Respect Day! In support, consider wearing green, having a picnic, and eating plenty of lima bean-centric dishes, including Legumes Inside Tortillas (LIT) and Dried Artichokes and Beans (DABs).

You may be wondering— is National Lima Bean Respect Day truly that big of a deal at Columbia? Why, of course! If you have never noticed all of the celebrants out and about on 4/20, pay more attention to these warning signs.

• Red eyes: On 4/20, it is common for observers to be overcome by emotion and weep out of respect for lima beans.
• Plumes of smoke: Burning effigies on behalf of that most deserved of subject, the lima bean, is one of the most common communal celebrations of 4/20.
• Raucous sing-alongs to such musical artists as Bob Marley, Sublime, and Blink-182: National Lima Bean Respect Day observers can trace their lineage back to the days of yore, when the lima bean’s primary function was to populate shakers and maracas for shamanic musical celebrations. Today, that storied history is honored with bombastic revelry in the greatest savants of our time.

If you notice any of these occurrences on or around Columbia today, please feel free to join in! National Lima Bean Respect Day is about passing the good vibes along. But remember, if you are given a can of lima beans while standing in a celebration circle, the order is munch, munch, pass. Anyone who eats more than their fill is said to have “the munchies” and may be banned from National Lima Bean Respect Day celebrations for all eternity.

Regardless of how you plan to celebrate, enjoy this lovely 4/20. 

Happy Lima Bean Respect Day!

Lima bean the great and powerful via Wikimedia Commons