Christmas and New Year’s have passed and you have just begun to recover. After all of that stress, you are going to need to drink and there is no better time to tie one on than Saint Patrick’s Day. Any St. Patrick’s Day party should have Irish food, libations, and music. We have been to Ireland quite a few times and love to celebrate this holiday. So here are a few things you will need to do to be ready for your St Patrick’s day party.
Know Your History
Knowing the origins of St. Patrick’s day will help you to create a better party. When a person is important enough to have a holiday named after them, that day is normally celebrated on their birthday. However, St. Patrick is celebrated on the day of his death, March 17th. The holiday has become a celebration of Irish culture and It is traditional to throw a feast on this day.
Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the 5th century. He was kidnapped and brought to Ireland when he was only 16 years old. Saint Patrick eventually escaped and went back to Rome where he became a priest. He returned to Ireland to convert his former captors and their countrymen to Christianity.
You have probably heard the myth that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Those snakes are simply a metaphor for the conversion of Celtic people.
St. Patrick is considered the patron saint of Ireland and the St Patrick’s Day celebrations began in the 10th century. The holiday became official in the 16th century.
Photo by Harris Vo on Unsplash
Decorations
The first thing you should do is decide if you want your decorations to be about St. Patrick or Irish culture in general. Saint Patrick was a religious leader. According to mythology, he taught people about the Holy Trinity by using the three leaves of a clover. The idea of a four-leaf clover being lucky is a pagan myth.
When Vikings invaded Ireland in 795 AD, they stole and buried treasures. When they left Ireland, some of that money was left behind.
Contrary to certain cereal advertising campaigns, leprechauns were actually supposed to be villains. They were said to have dug up the treasure and buried it in spots where humans would not be able to find it. The magical multi-colored light of a rainbow was said to lead people to the treasure.
If you want your party to be about the American version of Irish culture, go ahead and include leprechauns, rainbows, and pots of gold. It’s all in good fun, right? And they make some cute decor! But, if you want it to be about St. Patrick, you might want to leave these things out.
Photo by Benjamin Rascoe on Unsplash
Party Favors
You can buy plastic cups at the store or you can make your own St Patrick’s Day-themed mugs. There are internet-based on-demand printing companies that will allow you to create a design and have it printed on a cup. According to the website, printful.com/st-patricks-day-shirts, you can also create your own St Patrick’s Day shirt. These would make really cute favors for guests!
Get the food
A traditional St. Patrick’s Day feast will include the following foods:
- Corned beef and cabbage
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Irish Soda Bread
- Tea
- Scones
- Fresh Apple Tarts
- Crisp Sandwiches
Personally, our family loves bangers and mash and whiskey bread pudding for dessert! If you have vegans coming to your party, remember to make a vegan shepherd’s pie for them.
If you are looking for something a bit simpler, you can offer sandwiches with plenty of potato chips, potato salad, and Irish home fries. You can find green cupcakes and cookies at your local bakery.
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
Don’t Forget the Libations
No matter what may have happened in history, people expect a good strong drink or two at a Saint Patrick’s Day party. You can always go the route of traditional green beer and Irish whiskey or you can make Irish coffee and other cocktails that contain whiskey.
If you have great food, drink, and decorations at your party, your guest will have a great time. When they leave with a souvenir or two, they will remember the festivities for a long time.
