Are you ready for St. Patrick’s Day? While Easter is the traditional holiday to celebrate the end of Lent, if you ask anyone Irish, the best holiday in March is St. Patrick’s Day!
Previously an Irish specific holiday but now celebrated all over the world, it’s the time and place to honour Irish culture. But there’s certainly more to the day than donning a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” shirt, sending out a St. Patrick’s Day card, and chugging a pint of Guinness.
While we’re on the topic of cards, you can have a quick browse of some of our fave St. Patrick’s Day designs below:
And we also have a whole blog full of St. Patrick’s Day wishes if you’re not too sure what to write inside.
If you want to get involved with St. Patrick’s Day traditions but don’t know where to start, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and why we celebrate it to begin with.
When is St. Patrick’s Day?
Wondering when the big day falls? Get your shamrocks ready for March 17th to celebrate all things Irish!
What is St. Patrick’s Day?
Before we get into the best places to drink Guinness and the appropriate dress code, it’s important to understand what the day is all about.
At its core, St. Patrick’s Day started life on the Emerald Isle as a celebration to honour their patron saint, Saint Patrick. There’s a lot of history behind Saint Patrick, but put succinctly, he was the man responsible for converting the Irish to Christianity and driving the metaphorical snakes out of Ireland. So, naturally, his day is also seen as a religious holiday.
Given all the drinking, parades, and bright green décor, you might be surprised to learn about the religious side of the festivities. In the past, shops would shut for the day, and everyone would attend church services as part of the festival. All of this praying and hymn singing would then be wrapped up with a hearty celebration feast, an added bonus to break up the food restrictions of Lent.
But it’s from the drinking a pint in St. Patrick’s honour that the modern-day celebration comes into being.
Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
As we mentioned, the historic celebration was to honour St. Patrick’s life and religion. While the religious elements are less significant nowadays, the day has lost none of its celebratory traditions – they’ve simply evolved.
So, St. Patrick’s Day is an occasion to honour and learn about Irish history and cultural traditions, and to welcome the arrival of spring and the end of winter! If you want to celebrate all things Irish, then March 17th is the day to do so.
How is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated?
So, how should you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year? Well, it’s time to get your shamrocks out and party hard!
Shamrocks, lurid green, and midday parades
Alright, it’s a cliche, but if Saint Patrick’s Day is all about celebrating all things Irish, then you can’t go wrong with donning a bright green shirt, trousers, or socks. The Ivy Cap, the classic Irish and St. Patrick’s hat, is always welcome, especially when jauntily adorned with a shamrock.
You don’t have to be fully kitted out in green attire though, even a cut-out shamrock pinned to your shirt will do. But once you’re ready to go, your first point of call should be wherever the nearest St. Patrick’s Day parade is being held.
When it comes to how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you can thank the Americans for spicing the occasion up with marching bands, big floats, huge puppets, and ruddy Irish cheer. The Chicago River is dyed bright green, and the Empire State Building glows green on March 17th too!
Grab a Guinness in a local pub
When the parades are all said and done, and you’re looking to put your feet up, there’s no better way to keep the party going than by heading to your nearest pub for a pint or two of Ireland’s favourite drink.
A mix of malty sweetness, hoppy bitterness, coffee, and even a hint of chocolate, Guinness is the drink of choice for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. So, if you’ve never tried it, just head to a traditional Irish pub and grab yourself a pint!
Break out the hair dye, face painting, and arts and crafts
While the majority of celebrations do take place on the streets, if you’re looking for things to do on St. Patrick’s Day with younger kids, then digging out the arts and crafts is a must.
Cut out your own shamrocks, build a little house for the local leprechaun, or help them paint something suitably Irish. Nothing is off the table when it comes to Irish arts and crafts. You could even slip in some baking – maybe some bright green cupcakes!
And if your kids want to head out and watch the parade, then face painting the Irish flag and shamrocks is always a welcome addition. Even the adults can get in on this, dying their hair or beard to match the occasion.
Celebrate Irish pop culture
Ireland has produced some truly standout movies and music, so why not spend the day soaking up some Irish pop culture? Listen to some Celtic, folk, or traditional Irish pub songs, or press play on The Cranberries, U2, or Van Morrison.
For movies set in Ireland, P.S I Love You starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler is a classic (just have your tissues at the ready), or if you’re a musical lover, how about Once starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová?
Throw a St. Patrick’s Day party
Instead of heading out to a busy parade, why not throw your very own St. Patrick’s Day celebration at home this year? Yep, that means bright green decorations, a mandatory green dress code, and of course plenty of delicious food and free-flowing drinks!
Just gather all your favourite people in one place and spend the day celebrating all things Irish.
Go to Ireland and soak in the culture
Saint Patrick’s Day can be celebrated anywhere, but if you want an authentic celebration experience, then you have to go to Ireland.
Grab a flight or ferry to Dublin, Belfast, Cork, or any Irish city, and immerse yourself in the culture. If you make a holiday of it, you’ll have plenty of time to learn some local history, soak in some Irish music and dance, and maybe even learn some Gaelic in time for the big day festivities.
What to eat on St. Patrick’s Day?
Searching for St. Patrick’s Day ideas that involve indulging in delicious food? Well, if you want something traditional, then boiled bacon, potatoes, and Irish soda bread is the way to go. You could also try some corned beef and cabbage or an Irish beef stew for a slight American twist.
For traditional but more obscure dishes, you could cook up some Irish boxty, a delicious Irish potato cake, or a Dublin Coddle, which is sausages, bacon, potatoes, and onions, all layered together and cooked in a broth.
And if you aren’t in the mood to cook, then opting for some traditional pub grub is an excellent shout.
So, are you ready to celebrate? We certainly are! While Saint Patrick’s Day isn’t usually associated with cards and gift-giving, it can’t hurt to send a little message to friends and family to help celebrate the occasion. Pick up a card and gift from our selection to get the party started.
And for even more inspiration for other major occasions, check out the thortful blog! Or shop our birthday cards and Mother’s Day cards to get extra prepared.
