Most people know St. Patrick’s
Day as the weekend of green clothes and dark brews, but it is actually a
religious celebration of the death of St. Valentine that has been celebrated
for over 1,000 years. Even though this
Christian holiday falls during Lent, restrictions on diet were lifted in
celebration. People would dance, drink,
and eat the day away.
St. Patrick’s Day weekend is
home to countless parades and pub-crawls all over the world. For most the drinking starts early in the
morning and the green beer and Guinness are free flowing throughout the
day. We all know the dangers of drinking
and driving, but what about those who don’t have a cool bar within walking
distance? Do they have to miss out on all of the fun? The answer is NO! Invite over your friends and throw yourself
an Irish celebration with a few of these easy ideas.
Food
Other than traditional party
favorites like wings, pizza, and burgers, the key ingredient to fun and festive
food for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration is green food coloring. The next time you are at the grocery store,
stop by the baking aisle and pick up some food coloring. Food coloring can be added to just about any recipe
to at a little whimsy to your meals.
To prepare for a long day of celebrating, it is important to have a good breakfast. Try adding food coloring to pancake batter
for some green half dollar stacks! This
is a big hit for both kids and adults.
You can continue the theme
all day, adding in a little bit of your green food coloring to snacks like
cookies, Rice Krispy treats, cupcakes, and chocolate covered pretzels.
For a healthier option,
consider slicing up some kiwi and celery for the food table. You can also set out a bowl of green grapes
for people to munch on.
Decorations
Decorations are a really simple
way to set a theme for your party. In
the case of St. Patrick’s Day, a great resource for decorations is your local
dollar store. It is often overlooked for
more expensive places like Party City, but for a one day per year event, your
local dollar store is a great place to go!
Green party streamers,
metallic shamrocks, St. Patrick’s Day bunting, and flags are all easy to hang
around your living room. The dollar
store is also a great place to find St. Patrick’s Day party favors to hand out
to your guests!
Activities
One of the best parties I
ever went to had a photo booth with silly costumes you could dress up in and
get your picture taken. Professional
photo booths cost hundreds of dollars to rent for a party, but you can create
your own at your house for a fraction of the cost!
First, decorate one of your
walls with green streamers, tinsel, or confetti. Next you can place fun glasses and hats you
found at the dollar store on a table outside of the shot for people to dress
up. You can set up your camera on a
tripod, or designate someone as the photographer for a few hours. You can then upload the photos on a slideshow
and email them to all of your party attendees a few days later!
One other fun idea for a
party would be to set up a mixed drinks station with green themed mixers. Whether it’s mint liqueur, lime juice, or
Sour Apple Schnapps, creating your own drinks can be really fun! It’s also a good alternative for your guests
who aren’t fond of beer.
