Do you have an Irish heritage or you just love all things Irish? You’re in luck because there’s a time in the year where you can be as Irish as you want to be: St. Patrick’s Day. Celebrated on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day is the national day of Ireland, named after Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick. The holiday is observed not just in North Ireland, but in Canada, the UK, the United States of America, Argentina and even Australia.

Here are some great ways to get your St. Patrick’s Day celebration going.

Top O’the Morning Invitations

When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day, think green. You can also have cute invitations in the shape of shamrocks, leprechauns, or even the shape of the emerald isles—Ireland—itself. You can even make a “pot of gold” invitation using gold glitter. Be creative and remind your friends to come in their best Irish garb.

Jig Up Your Party Space: St. Patrick’s Day Decorations

Green is the traditional colors used when it comes to all things Irish, so now you have a color motif to follow. Alternate forest green and light green when it comes to your balloons, streamers and banners. Your tablecloths should also be forest green with orange accents, while the utensils should be a lighter shade of green, so your guests wouldn’t be so confused. Your centerpieces could be small balloons in the shape of shamrocks piled in a basket, or wildflowers that recall the Irish countryside.

Put up cutouts of shamrocks over your walls. String up green Christmas lights all over, and change a few of your regular light bulbs with green ones for the day. Put up a big rock or a paper mache rock with a sign that says: “Blarney Stone—Kiss for Luck!”. The Blarney Stone is a famous stone in Ireland that people come from all over to kiss, believing that it will give them the gift of eloquence.

Give out large “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” buttons for your guests to pin on when they arrive. You can also give out leprechaun hats. If you have kids, encourage them to dress up like mischievous little leprechauns who will run around the party.

Get Irish Eyes Smiling: Games and Activities

There are many activities you can do on this day. One thing you can do as a family is to watch the St. Patrick’s Day parade on television together. Make sure that you have comfortable seats surrounding your television set and lots of food and drink everyone can nibble on. Here are other things you can do on this very Irish day:

Pot of gold games


• Hunt for the Pot of Gold. Let your guests hunt for the lost pot of gold the leprechaun hid away. There are two ways to do this hunt. First option is to have your treasure seekers start out with an empty pot and look for gold pieces (aka chocolate coins) in a similar manner as an Easter Egg Hunt. Another option is to have one big pot that your guests will have to look for using clues. One clue should lead to another and another until they reach the treasure.
• Throw Coins into the Pot. Separate your guests into groups of two or three. Set up cardboard “pots” and supply the teams with gold coins or gold hoops. The team who gets the most gold in the pot wins.
• Pin the Shamrock on the Leprechaun. Set up a poster of a leprechaun and ask the kids to pin the shamrock in his hand!

Stop dance


• St. Patrick’s Day Charades. Divide the guests into two groups. Using only body movements and no words, have the teams guess what Irish-related item the “It” is trying to convey. If the team can’t guess within the time limit, the opposing team has a chance to guess and steal the score. Some Irish terms you can use are “Luck of the Irish,” “When Irish eyes are smiling,” “Leprechaun,” “Pot of gold” (Learn how to play charades).
• Guess How Many Coins. Before the party starts, fill up a jar with chocolate gold coins. As your guests arrive, hand them slips of paper and ask them to guess how many coins are in the jar. Choose the one with the correct answer or the one whose guess was closest. Award them with the jar of chocolate and a prize.
• Irish Stop Dance. Play traditional Irish jigs and have people dance to it, but stop the music and they have to keep very still in their positions. The ones who moves during this quiet time is out of the game. The one who endures until everyone else is eliminated, wins.
• Kiss Me, I’m Irish. Before your guests arrive, prepare pin buttons that say, “Kiss Me, I’m Irish!” Distribute them to your guests as they arrive. Later on, announce to everyone that there is a kissing contest where everyone must kiss someone first before someone kisses them. If someone is kissed first, the kisser must take the “Kiss Me, I’m Irish!” pin from the person he or she kissed. The person who has kissed the most number of people first based on the number of pins they’ve acquired, wins. Think carefully first if you really want to do this game—it can get a little raucous!

Hot potato game


• Hot Potato. Pass around a potato in a circle while playing music. When the music stops, the one holding it is out of the game. A variation to this game is for the one holding the potato to name a potato dish in five seconds. If he or she is unable to name one or repeats one that is already mentioned, he or she is out of the game. Potatoes are actually a staple food in Ireland, and you can bet that the Irish have a lot of recipes for this food item.

Food for Guests and Leprechauns

With all that activity and excitement, tummies will soon be grumbling. Impress your guests with a wide selection of Irish food. Be sure to include some green-colored food items too. Here are some suggestions:

• Green Fruits and Dip. Slice green apples, green grapes, kiwis and honey dew lemon and serve them with cream cheese mixed with a little honey and a few drops of lemon juice. The apples’ tangy taste will be a delicious counterpoint to the full flavor of the cream cheese. You can also use yogurt as a dip.
• Corned Beef with Cabbage. Make a hearty stew out of corned beef and cabbage, seasoned with spices and served with a selection of bread to make any stomach full. This is a traditional Irish food eaten on special occasions like Saint Patrick’s Day.
• Shepherd’s Pie. A dish made out of ground beef with a mashed potato crust. It’s also used for meat leftovers and is a welcome addition to any party, although it’s of English origin.
• Soda Bread. This is another traditional Irish food item. Made from flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk, it’s delicious either with any kind of filling or just eaten on its own.




Corned beef

Guiness for drinks

Sheperds pie

• Guacamole Dip. Made from avocado, this is something you might find in a Mexican restaurant, but it’s a nice green color so it all evens out in the end.
• Shamrock-Shaped Food. You can take your ordinary sandwiches and shape them into shamrocks to get more into the theme. Lime-green Jello cut out in shamrock shapes will also make it the buffet table a lot more attractive.
• Traditional Irish Drinks. There’s no real Irish party without Irish alcohol and beverage like Guinness. There are also green beer that you can buy on St. Patrick’s Day.
• St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes. Cover cupcakes with a generous serving of green frosting, or put dollops of green gumdrops on white frosting for a traditional Irish touch.

Wanna see St. Patrick’s Day party activities and fun games.

Imbibe yourself with a little luck of the Irish and then some with a St. Patrick’s Day party. Remember, you’re not the only one in the whole world doing it! Celebrate Irish culture and don’t forget to eat, drink and be merry. For more information regarding this article, read how to celebrate St. Patrick’s day.