How to Plan a St. Patrick's Day Party

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St. Patrick’s Day is an excellent holiday to celebrate with a party! There are many parts of the party to plan, whether you are having a casual get together with a few friends or planning an event for several people. Important areas to consider when planning your St. Patrick’s Day party are: costumes, food, beverages, gifts, whether to attend any outside festivities, and incorporating the history of St Patrick’s Day.

The first area to consider is St. Patrick’s Day costumes. Many people traditionally wear green to avoid being pinched on St. Patrick’s Day. This can be a regular green item of clothing, for example a green sweater that might be worn on anytime but has special significance on this holiday. There are many stores that also sell special holiday items, such as T-shirts that state “Kiss me! I’m Irish.” These items are often deeply marked down after the holiday and can be purchased afterwards and used the following year. This is a good strategy if you want to buy the same item for a large group of people. Other items include fun hats, headbands with Shamrocks on them, and pins that light up. Whatever your sense of style, you are sure to find the perfect item for your St. Patrick’s Day costume.

Food is an important component to any party. You can plan and prepare a traditional Irish meal with some St. Patrick’s Day recipes. Many favorite Irish dishes include: corned beef and cabbage, steak boxty, Irish soda bread, bangers and mash, and apple mash. These traditional recipes can be complemented by a variety of other foods that have one added ingredient: green food coloring. Any traditional party food can be dressed up with a little green food coloring. A versatile example is any normal cupcake recipe, if you’re feeling adventurous try Guinness Stout Cupcake recipe or other St. Patrick’s Day cupcake recipe . Green food coloring can be added to the frosting which dresses up this tasty treat for the holiday. If there are children at the party, green or mint flavored ice cream or milkshakes are also great options. For adults, Irish liquor can be added to a milkshake or coffee drink.
Speaking of spirits, what St. Patrick’s Day party is complete without Irish beer? National and local breweries often make special batches of St. Patrick’s Day beer. You can add green food coloring to any regular beer to enjoy green beer. Many bars also serve green beer on the holiday and your party can make stops at local taverns as part of the night. For those in the crowd who are not fans of beer, Irish liquor can be used to make many different cocktails. Irish coffee is a great, hot treat, especially if you are planning to attend a parade or walk outside to various bars or parties in cold winter months.
Small St. Patrick’s Day gifts can be given to the people attending your party. St. Patrick’s Day inspired pins, festive noise makers, and hats are options that can be found at many online, retail and specialty party stores. Celtic jewelry is also a traditional gift, Claddagh jewelry is the most popular option. Claddagh jewelry ranging from inexpensive to heirloom quality is available from jewelry stores and a variety of online retailers. If you have a special someone you are thinking of this St. Patrick’s Day, there are many beautiful his and her Claddagh ring sets to choose from. This is a gift that can last a lifetime.

Many towns and cities have St. Patrick’s Day parades. These are usually in the afternoon or the evening and can be a fun event to add on to the start or end of your party. The mood at these parades is very festive and day time parades are fun for the whole family.

Incorporating the history of this holiday can also create a memorable party experience. A St. Patrick’s Day trivia game can be used as a drinking game or played to win prizes. Be creative, you can create your own game by looking up facts about St. Patrick’s Day on the internet or search for existing trivia questions already out there. For example, many people do not know the meaning of St. Patrick’s Day or what phrases like “Kiss the Blarney stone” mean. These fun facts are a great icebreaker and entertainment.