St. Patrick's Day is a great excuse to celebrate Irish culture and heritage, but you don't have to stop at just wearing green and eating corned beef and cabbage. There are so many fun ways to mark this holiday that will bring you closer to the traditions of Ireland. Below are some ideas for how you can have an authentic St. Patrick's Day celebration.
Celebrate by wearing green
Wear a green hat, tie or scarf as part of your outfit. You can also wear green socks if you're feeling bold! If you really want to go all out with this look (and I don't blame you), try pairing your festive attire with some leprechaun-inspired accessories like glasses or shoes that have shamrocks printed on them--or even better yet: put on some green contacts!
Go to a parade
Parades are a fun way to get into the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, and they're also a great way to celebrate with friends and family. The parades often have live music, food, and games. Some parades even have contests where you can win prizes!
Bring a festive feel to your home
St Patrick's Day is a great time to get creative and has some fun with your decorations. One of the easiest ways to make your home look festive is by printing out some green labels and sticking them on things around the house.
Sticker label printers are really easy to use, so anyone can do this! Just buy some green stickers and download an image file that says "Happy St Patrick's Day" or something similar. Then load up your sticker printer with some blank adhesive labels, and peel off the backing paper from each one--and voila! You've got yourself some custom-made decorations for St Patrick's Day!
Throw a St.Patrick's Day party
If you're hosting a St. Patrick's Day party, here are some ideas for making it special.
- You can make food, drinks and party supplies look festive by using green thermal stickers with shamrocks on them. The stickers can be used to label the food and drinks, or they can be used to label other items such as cups.
- Also include a green sticker on the back of your invitation card, and add names, address and invitation words onto green labels.
- You can also use stickers to create name tags for your guests, if you want something extra special!
Make some Irish food
Irish stew. This is a classic dish that can be made with any type of meat, such as lamb, chicken, or pork. The key to making it taste like the real deal is to use mutton instead of beef or lamb because it has a deeper flavor and texture when cooked properly.
Potato pancakes. You'll need about 2 pounds of potatoes for this recipe--you can either peel them or leave them unpeeled if you prefer the rustic look! Add some onions for extra flavor and color; chop them up finely so they blend into your mixture easily before adding salt/pepper/baking powder/eggs...whatever else sounds good!
Once everything is mixed well together, heat up some oil in a frying pan over medium heat until hot enough that bubbles start forming on top when you splash water onto it from above with your handheld overhead level. Once ready turn down the heat slightly but keep stirring constantly until each side gets browned evenly without burning too much--then remove from heat immediately before eating right away while still hot!!
Drink a Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish beer made from roasted barley, hops, and yeast. The creamy head is created by adding nitrogen to the mix, which also gives Guinness its signature taste.
Guinness has a sweet and roasted flavor with hints of coffee and chocolate. It has a 4.2% alcohol content, making it one of the stronger beers on this list!
This brew was first brewed in Dublin back in 1759 by Arthur Guinness himself at St James' Gate Brewery - hence why you'll see references to this all over Ireland today!
Make an Irish stew
Irish stew is a hearty, warm, and filling dish that makes for an easy dinner on St Patrick's Day. The ingredients are simple, but it does take some time to cook because you have to braise the meat in beer or broth before adding potatoes and carrots.
Here's how to make Irish stew:
1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (or use lamb or pork)
1 large onion chopped into large chunks (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch if needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Learn about Irish history
You can learn about the history of St. Patrick's Day by visiting your local library or checking out an online source. You'll find that it has its roots in Ireland, where people have been celebrating this holiday since the fifth century AD. The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland, and it represents three things: faith, hope, and love.
The Irish have played an important role in American history since colonial times. Many Americans have Irish ancestry; in fact, according to some estimates, more than 40 million Americans today claim at least one ancestor who was born in Ireland!
Watch a movie set in Ireland
If you're looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day that doesn't involve drinking, consider watching a movie set in Ireland. Watching a movie set in Ireland is also educational--you'll learn how people live their lives on this island nation off the coast of Europe! Here are some ideas:
- Leap Year(2010)
It's a film about a woman who plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland, to propose to her boyfriend on February 29, leap day, because a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it, according to Irish tradition.
- Brooklyn (2015)
In the 1950s, a young Irish woman immigrates to Brooklyn and finds herself torn between her new and old life.
- Once (2007)
It's a charming love story that takes place in Dublin and centers on two unnamed characters who come together by chance and compose lovely music.
Try a St. Patrick's Day craft
Make a leprechaun trap. You can make this craft with your kids, and it's a great way to get them involved in the holiday spirit.
Make a St. Patrick's Day card for someone you love! It doesn't have to be complicated; just cut out some paper shamrocks and write something nice on it, like "You're lucky I found you!"
Try making some lucky clovers out of pipe cleaners and other materials around the house. They'll look great hanging from branches or strung together into garlands for your front door.
Give to a green organization
Giving to a green organization is a great way to celebrate St Patrick's Day. You can donate to your local park, or you could give money to an organization that fights against climate change. If you're looking for something more specific, try donating to an organization like the Sierra Club or Clean Water Action that focuses on protecting our environment from pollution and deforestation.
Read an Irish novel or poetry book
You can read an Irish novel or poetry book. Irish literature is a rich and varied body of work, with writers producing some of the most important works of English literature.
In addition to reading from this canon of Irish classics, you may want to consider exploring lesser-known writers who are still relevant today: Seamus Heaney's poetry collection The Spirit Level is a good place to start--it won't take long for you to get lost in its pages!
Conclusion
We hope these ideas have helped you to get in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day! The holiday is about enjoying yourself and celebrating with friends and family, so we want you to have fun with it.
