The greenest (and most Irish) day of the year is just around the corner! St. Patrick’s Day commemorates Saint Patrick’s death and the arrival of Christianity to Ireland, but it’s since grown to be more of a celebration of Irish culture. On St. Patrick’s Day, people often wear green, hope for rainbows, and drink copious amounts of beer. The day is certainly a marathon. Many major cities across the United States host bar crawls — Chicago even dyes its river bright green.
Sometimes, it’s more exciting to bring the festivities into your own home. Transform your house, apartment, or dorm room into a green wonderland with these tips. Here is how to throw the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day party.
Food
The most iconic St. Patrick’s Day food is corned beef and cabbage, so serving it at your party is a must. Back in the day, Irish immigrants used corned beef as a more cost-efficient bacon substitute. Corned beef and cabbage pays homage to Irish-American history on the most Irish day of the year. Juicy, fatty, tangy, and melt-in-your-mouth — this dish is made to please.
Bangers and mash, which are sausages with cheesy potatoes, are also an Irish staple. If you want to simplify things, make hot dogs and mashed potatoes. You can pair the hot dogs with typical buns for a barbecue, and everyone loves mashed potatoes.
As for finger foods, try to purchase green things to really play up the festive factor. Matcha Pocky, seaweed, hummus platters with green vegetables, charcuterie boards with green grapes and olives … the possibilities are endless. When in doubt, just make a random dish with green food coloring in it!
Drinks
For alcoholic drinks, there are two ways to go: beer or Bailey’s. Of course, any beer will be sufficient. Dye it green for more fun. But for those who have more of a sweet tooth, Bailey’s Irish Cream is a delicious alternative. This creamy liqueur with hints of cocoa pairs well with most sweet flavors. Pour it into coffee, or have it over ice cream.
For nonalcoholic drinks, make your own Shamrock Shake with vanilla ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, and green food coloring. Or just purchase one from McDonald’s. Again, just dye things green: apple juice, white grape juice, piña coladas, even water.
St. Patrick’s Day Party Decorations
Decorations are important for setting the vibe of your celebration. Aside from finding as many green streamers and balloons as possible, it could be fun to fill a kitchen pot full of chocolate gold coins to create a pot of gold. Use paper or streamers to create a rainbow leading up to it. Dress up your pet as a leprechaun. Make clover confetti, but have only a few four-leaf clovers for lucky guests to find.
Games
For those drinking, make sure to take a shot at 3:17. It can be a.m. or p.m. — depending on when you’re planning to party.
So Clover! is an exciting board game where players guess each other’s keywords based upon several clues. Played amongst three to six players, it can be a fun (and undeniably festive) board game to occupy guests.
It could also be fun to play random games with Lucky Charms. For example, go “apple bobbing” by picking out all of the marshmallows in Lucky Charms with your mouth. Hide all of the marshmallows around your home to create an “egg hunt.” There are really so many ways to go about it.
Going Out
If you plan on hosting your party as a pregame, check out what local festivities are happening around you for St. Patrick’s Day. Attend a bar crawl, watch a parade, or visit a block party. St. Patrick’s Day is a day-long celebration, so plan on hosting guests earlier on in the day. Prepare for this green-themed bender, and make sure to have fun!