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Day of the Irish
Host the Best Bash West of Belfast!
It's time for the "wearing o' the green," as we honor the patron saint of Ireland, Bishop Patrick and everything Irish. St. Patrick introduced Christianity into Ireland during the fifth century. According to legend, he used the shamrock, or three-leaf clover, to teach his converts about the Holy Trinity, and performed many miracles.
In Ireland the people honor St. Patrick with a national holiday and a week of religious festivities. Celebrations in the United States include parades and parties with green food and drink. Those who are Irish (and most other folk) wear articles of green clothing to get into the holiday spirit. Almost everyone claims to have a little Irish in them on this special day.
Penny Warner, author of The Best Party Book (Meadowbrook Press, 1992), has these great ideas for a happy St. Patrick's Day.
- Send out Blarney Stone invitations. Paint large stones green, write party details in permanent marker and set the Blarney Stones at your guests' front door. Write party details on green paper shamrocks, then slip into green padded envelopes filled with chocolate gold coins and mail to guests.
- Write "Mc" or "O" before each of the guests' names on the envelope.
- Dress up as a leprechaun and have your guests do the same.
- Ask your guests to wear as many green articles of clothing as they can.
- Award a prize to the guest wearing the most green.
- Turn the party room Irish with shamrock decorations. Cut out oodles of giant shamrocks from green construction paper. Tape the shamrocks to the walls, use them as placemats or hang little ones from the ceiling.
- Make a rainbow wall. Cut out rainbow colors from construction paper or use crepe paper streamers to form a giant rainbow to tape on the wall. Set a pot filled with chocolate gold coins at one end.
- Cover the table with a green or shamrock-printed tablecloth and sprinkle on gold coins, green candies and shamrock stickers. Add little leprechaun figurines for fun.
- Tape travel posters from Ireland, maps and Irish brochures on the walls.
- Fill the party room with green balloons, dangling green streamers and big banners with Irish phrases, such as "Luck o' the Irish" and "Erin Go Braugh."
- Play Irish music in the background as the guests arrive.
