Posted on by Cleverona Kitchen

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year, and on March 17th everyone suddenly becomes Irish for the day! If you’re going to celebrate Paddy's Day by hosting a party, you’ll have to do it right. And when hosting a St. Patrick's Day party, there are many things you can do to make it fun. 

Irish folks have observed the Roman Catholic feast of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, since around the ninth or 10th century. But nowadays, those celebrations look very different than they once did. In fact, many of the St. Patrick's Day activities and traditions you know and love today actually started here in the US. Before you worry that you're doing it all wrong or offending someone, take it as a good sign that Ireland has embraced some of these St. Patrick's Day activities. They’ve even accepted green beer (though it did take a while). 

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve gathered some great ideas to make your St. Patrick’s Day a little bit more fun and exciting.

There's nothing more charming than customized party invitations. So why settle for a group text when you could hand out personalized handmade St. Patrick’s Day invitations? You should be able to find a few St. Patrick's invitation designs at local party stores and there are also many sites that offer a large selection of ideas and printable invitations. 

Once you’ve created your St Patrick’s Day invitations, you’ll want to send them out with plenty of time. Send out invitations at least three weeks in advance to make sure they get to where they’re going.

 

Make sure to mention the dress code in your invitations, and have a few green and gold accessories on hand for those who forget. St. Patrick's Day can't come and go without you donning at least one piece of green clothing. A simple green sweater or shirt will do fine if you can’t find anything.  Whether you're trying to avoid being pinched or want an excuse to wear your green leather pants, consider embracing the colorful tradition, even with a simple green accessory.

Traditions are given more attention to during St Patrick’s Day, so it’s only fitting to consider serving your guests a few traditional Irish dishes. There are so many delicious St. Patrick's Day recipes out there to make your celebration even more authentic this year, and we’ve got a few classics to get you started.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef is a salt-cured beef brisket commonly used in braising with cabbage in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The term “corned beef” comes from the process used to cure the beef using large grained rock salt called “corns” of salt.

[Get the recipe]

Photo by The Urban Soap Box

Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Among Ireland’s most iconic pub foods, this rich and robust Irish Beef and Guinness Stew will make your taste buds sing and have you begging for seconds. What sets Ireland’s beef stew apart from others is its inclusion of Guinness stout. The alcohol is evaporated as the simmers low and slow and you’re left with a deep and robust flavor with fork-tender beef, waxy potatoes, and the sweetness of parsnips and carrots.

[Get the recipe]

Photo by Recipe Tin Eats

Irish Pub Beer Cheese Dip

Irish Pub Cheese Recipe (Beer Cheese Dip) is silky smooth and loaded with Irish cheddar and beer flavor. This Pub Cheese Recipe makes a fabulous snack for Saint Patrick’s Day.

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Photo by A Spicy Perspective

The Irish are well known for having the ability to use words to make anything sound good, and there is a wonderful tradition of Irish sayings, toasts, proverbs, and blessings. Reading these Irish blessings and prayers is a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year. Even if you aren't Irish, belt out one or two of these prayers during the party or during a toast. As one goes, "May you know nothing but happiness, from this day forward." You can even incorporate some of these sayings into your St. Patrick's Day decorations by turning them into a print and framing it.

No matter how old you are, your St. Patrick’s Day experience will only be made more enjoyable with the addition of St. Patrick’s Day games. From the family-friendly St. Paddy's Bingo to green drinking dice for the adults, everyone's bound to find a game that'll keep them laughing and competing for hours. So once you’ve got your beautiful DIY St. Patrick’s Day decorations up, make sure you have a few St. Patrick’s Day games on hand for a guaranteed good time.

St. Patrick’s Day is a great day for eating, drinking, and being merry. And a well-curated Irish playlist would set the mood of the party. Ireland is home to many famous singers, and a great way to pay tribute to the holiday is to dance around your house or belt out some tunes sung by your favorite Irish artists. Irish songs and St. Patrick’s Day songs will encourage you to feel festive. And even if you have no Irish blood, it will give you a new appreciation for the musical contributions of Irish artists.

Bring the luck of the Irish to your home by decorating with green accents, decor items, and cool color combinations. You can adorn your place with beautiful green light bulbs, green helium balloons, and shamrock-shaped party lights. And although the color green can be a bit too bright and bold to incorporate into your home, in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and all things green, go for it!

Since shamrocks are one of the most recognizable St. Paddy's Day images, a simple way to add a touch of Irish to the party room is to cut large shamrocks out of green-colored paper. Simply cut the shamrock shapes out of paper, and tape them to the wall. You could also punch a hole and hang them from the ceiling with green yarn or ribbon. 

It also wouldn’t be too bad to add a splash of greenery to your tablescape. If you want your decorations to have a natural vibe, it's very easy to design a green tablescape. Plants are a beautiful touch to any meal and look great all year round. Freshen it up and use lush foliage decor to breathe life into your St Patrick’s Day table decorations. Scatter smaller paper shamrocks on your dinner table to create a festive look. You can also attach small shamrocks to craft sticks to create a bouquet.

If you’re looking for a fun activity for your party, a themed scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to get everyone involved and moving. And it's not just for kids. It encourages teamwork and is a great ice breaker when guests don't know each other. With St. Patrick’s Day riddles on each clue, your party is certainly going to have that St. Patrick's Day feel.

The Shamrock Shake was first introduced in 1970 by the famous global burger chain McDonald’s. The shakes, which traditionally make an appearance ahead of St. Patrick's Day, have become a much-anticipated tradition for McDonald's. 

These delicious minty milkshakes are easy to make at home and are sure to be a crowd-pleaser for your party. With some vanilla, ice cream, peppermint, and green food coloring, you can have the most beautifully delicious and festive milkshake.

[Get the recipe]

Green beer is a novelty that American drinkers have latched onto and it has quickly become the drink to have each and every St. Patrick’s Day. If you've been enjoying the emerald-colored beer at bars year after year, it may surprise you how easily you can make it at home. There is no trick to making green beer and it requires no special bartending skills. It is, quite simply, a light-colored beer that has a drop of green food coloring added to it. The flavor does not change, only the color which depends on how dark the beer you use and how much food coloring you put in.

One of the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day activities is to have a pint or more of Guinness, the famous Irish beer. Guinness really is the official drink of St. Patrick's Day, and whether or not you're usually into the stout beer, go ahead and try a pint if you never have. A lot of bars around the world should have it in their selection, and even if you celebrate at home, you shouldn’t run into much trouble buying a pint of it from your local store. Guinness also comes as a non-alcoholic version for those of you who want a taste but still need to drive home.

Green Jello Shots truly capture the spirit of St. Patrick's Day. And, since this is St. Patrick’s Day, what better spirit to use than the most popular Irish whiskey. For a truly great St. Paddy’s Day, you need these Jello Shots, which are a welcome change from the usual shots of Jamo you and your friends usually do.

[Get the recipe]

If you’ve ever cleaned up after a kegger or done drink duty at a party, you'd know that red Solo cups that are Americans’ receptacle of choice for beverages. But for St. Patrick's Day, green is your color. Having your guests hold green cups would definitely complete the overall theme of your party. Though you might want to use clear glass for drinks that are already green.

St. Patrick’s Day marks a popular time to drink Guinness. And maybe this will be the day you try Guinness Float. Root beer might be the traditional choice for a float, but a beer and ice cream combination is actually a delightful one. A beer like Guinness, with its rich, coffee-flavored undertones pairs very well with chocolate or vanilla ice cream.

The cool thing about Guinness floats is that you can really make them all year. But the best thing to do is to have one on St. Patrick’s Day. These floats are very easy to make. Just place a few scoops of your favorite chocolate or vanilla ice cream into a glass then slowly pour in some Guinness and watch it foam like crazy. Top with some chocolate syrup or chocolate sauce.

Whether your party is hosted at a pub or your house, hanging up an Irish flag is just a tradition during St. Patrick's Day. Show your colors this St. Patrick's Day with an Irish Flag. Put an Irish Flag on your desk or hang one or two from the wall. Irish Flags will surely make your St. Patrick’s Day party whole.

Include a classic pot of gold, filled to the brim with chocolate gold coins. This timeless St Patrick’s Day centerpiece is a delicious start to any party. Or better yet hand out Pot of Gold party favors. Party favors are so fun for any holiday. Let your guests take home these pots and they'll remember your party for years to come.

Green beads make up one of the most classic accessories for this green holiday. Get into the St Patrick's Day spirit with strands of beads with alternating disco ball and shamrock beads. These loud necklaces aren't just for parades and you can find shamrock necklaces in styles similar to Mardi Gras beads at many party supply stores. 

Placing a string of shiny green beads around your guests' necks can be a great way to welcome them to your party. Give shamrock necklaces out at your St Patrick's Day party and toss them out at parades. Layer up with plenty of different designs or wear them yourself to complete your St Patty's Day attire. Bring extras to give to friends for good luck or hand them out to co-workers on this Irish holiday.

Set up a photo booth for social media-happy guests. Use a green sheet backdrop adorned with a St. Patrick’s Day balloon backdrop paired with some photo booth props. You can invite people to snap some selfies or supply an instant camera and film so guests can take their pics home.

Booths are a great way to pose people for photos. Even shy or self-conscious people will stand behind a photo booth and let themselves be photographed. Make St. Patrick’s Day-themed props to make it more fun. You can also download free Irish-themed photo booth printables online to print and cut out. Attach them to dowel rods and let the guests use them as props for the photos.

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