St. Patrick’s Day is literally around the corner and it’s time to prepare for the celebration. It may come as a surprise but Saint Patrick was actually a real person and the Irish religious holiday is all about celebrating his life and all he brought to Ireland culture.
Born in Roman Britain, Saint Patrick was brought over to Ireland as a slave and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. People all across the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day to honour his legacy and bring good luck to everyone – but what are the best ways to celebrate?
That’s exactly why we’ve done all the hard work and compiled a comprehensive list of all the best things to do on St Patrick’s Day to celebrate the day in style.
Make some Irish cocktails
What better way to commemorate the day than by making a selection of Irish-inspired drinks. From green drinks, shots and non-alcoholic cocktails – there are so many that can be made from the comfort of your own home.
Of course, there are obvious drinks to consume on St. Patrick’s Day such as Guinness or Baileys, but not everyone likes these drinks. One easy way to get into the Irish spirit is by creating your own unique mixture with naturally green ingredients such as lime juice, mint leaves or pistachio ice cream.
There is always the option to add green food colouring into drinks as well to drinks to spice them up. Additionally, people wanting alcoholic mixtures can easily add green liqueurs such as Midori, Absinthe, Chartreuse and Creme de Menthe to add an extra kick into any drink.
Play an Irish themed game
From board games to online slots, there are so many different games to be played in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, many classic board games including Irish Gauge or Brian Boru: High King of Ireland can be played by people aged 14 or over. These require a little bit of strategy but aren’t too complicated to pick up.
Despite these games being perfect to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, they can be quite pricey. For people on a budget, they can also just get a deck of cards and play Irish Snap. All you need is a deck of cards with the aim of the game to lose all the cards in your hand.
For those of you feeling the luck of the Irish on your side, there is also the option of having a spin on some Irish slots such as the famous Rainbow Riches, or equally as popular, Finn and the Swirly Spin. As you’d expect, both are filled to the brim with pots of gold, laughing leprechauns, lucky clovers, and dazzling rainbows. Alternatively, if bingo is more your thing, then you might prefer a game of Slingo – a slots-bingo hybrid that combines the suspense and anticipation of bingo with the excitement and adrenaline of slots.
Have an Irish movie marathon
Not everyone wants to go out for St. Patrick’s Day as it can be quite pricey and full of drunken idiots. Sometimes all you want to do is snuggle up and binge a selection of great movies. A budget-friendly way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is by having an Irish movie marathon and paying tribute to some of the greatest stars and movies to come from Ireland.
Invite all your friends and family around to watch a bunch of feel-good comedies such as Dating Amber, P.S I Love You, Leap Year and Sing Street if you are looking for easy watching. There is always the option to watch more serious films such as Brooklyn, Belfast or Calvary if comedies aren’t your thing.
A movie night does not necessarily mean that you have to stick to one genre and can instead pay tribute to one of Ireland’s brightest stars. Honour St. Patrick’s Day in style by watching a whole host of movies starring Irish actors and actresses such as Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Kenneth Branagh, Saoirse Ronan and Maureen O’Hara to name just a few.
Cook up some traditional Irish food recipes
There are so many delicious Irish recipes out there and not all of them require a huge amount of effort. Naturally, you can always whip up an Irish breakfast or an Irish stew which involves little effort or preparation. Most dishes can become Irish by adding in Guinness or Baileys Irish cream.
In addition to the savoury food that you can whip up on St. Patrick’s Day, there are many sweet treats that can be used in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations such as classic Irish coffee or Irish cream brownies. If these are too complicated, there is always the option to create something basic and add in green colouring or pre-bought decorations from supermarkets such as shamrocks or sprinkles.
Thankfully, there are other ways to create Irish inspired food and these are even easier than the ones mentioned above. All you need to do is create something green and serve these at any St. Patrick’s Day party or even at your own home. These could include the basics such as Guacamole or an avocado dip with chips to serve.
Wearing something green
Perhaps, the easiest way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is simply by wearing green and getting into the full spirit. There is always the pressure to wear green with the fear that someone will pinch you if you aren’t wearing anything green.
It can be something effortless such as a simple green accessory or something bigger such as a green dress. You can decide how far you want to go and if you want to dress fully like a leprechaun or something more subtle that can be worn all day.
There is always the option to dress up your house or office as well with green balloons or rainbow-inspired decorations. This allows you to get everyone into the lively St. Patrick’s Day spirit and celebrate with you.
