St Patrick’s Day – March 17th – is an annual feast day celebrating Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Though an Irish holiday, St Paddy’s is celebrated worldwide, with green beer, Irish food, and wearing green being the theme for hardy revelry. Throwing a St Patrick’s Day party this year? Here is your guide for Irish food, St Patrick’s Day cocktails, and more.
Start the day with Irish coffee and dessert
In some locales, waking up before sunrise and heading to the pubs is the norm on St Patrick’s Day. However, if drinking green beer at 6am isn’t your thing, start your St Paddy’s Day with these Irish coffee and Irish coffee cake recipes or pair your morning tea with these St Patrick’s Day Sweet Irish Scones.
Celebrate with Irish Soda Bread
A popular quickbread with many simple and delicious variations, serve this St Patrick’s Day Irish Soda Bread with an Irish Stew or snack on it in between the Guinness and Irish Whiskeys. You can even bake an extra loaf of this traditional Irish bread and join the Spread the Bread movement, honoring local heroes and people in need.
Get the gang together for a St Patrick’s Day dinner
After a fun-filled afternoon pub hopping or before you head out for St Patrick’s Day celebrating, invite your closest friends over and feast on a tasty traditional Irish dinner featuring Shepherd’s Pie, Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes), Classic Cabbage and Corned Beef, and a green martini. Or try this new St Patrick’s Day menu with Irish Cheddar Fondue, Guiness Braised Corned Beef Casserole, and Chocolate Guiness Cupcakes.
Make it a healthy St Patrick’s Day
Pub grub, notoriously high in calories, fat and sodium, can create a diet disaser if you are watching your weight. Instead of eschewing the St Patrick’s Day fun, try these healthy St Patrick’s Day recipes, complete with diet tips for navigating the bar scene.
Cheers to green beers and more
Shamrocks, leprechauns and green beer, oh my! Lifting a glass of green ale at the local Irish pub is one of the most popular ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, but you can also make green beer at home (click for directions to make green beer). If you’d rather skip the green beer or find some other ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, here are some Irish parades, Irish festivals and other celebrations commemorating St Paddy.
Sip on something other than green beer
Sure, chugging green beer on St Patrick’s Day is expected, but sipping on a green cocktail can add panache to your St Paddy’s partying. Try this St Patrick’s Day T’Irish-misu or one of these green cocktails for St Patrick’s Day.
Turn up the Irish music
You can’t throw a St Paddy’s party without tuning into some Irish or Celtic jams. Turn up The Corrs or download an Irish playlist from iTunes.com.
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with your family
If you are planning a family or pregnant, hitting the pub for some green beverages is probably not on your St Paddy’s Day agenda. One way to stay in Irish spirit is to think of some Irish baby names for your soon-to-be tyke. Check out these Irish baby name meanings. If your kids are old enough, teach them about St Patrick’s Day while making these kid-friendly St Patrick’s Day Cookie Pops. To wind down the night after your Irish dinner, pick a movie from one of these Top 10 St Patrick’s Day movies.
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