St. Patrick's Day Tips

Make sure to wear something green unless you want to get pinched!

To make a festive St. Paddy's Day drink, add about five drops of bright green food coloring to a light colored beer to make green beer!

Check your local newspaper for any events going on for St. Patrick's Day.

If you are hosting a St. Patrick's Day party, try offering a fun, green desert or snack like Emerald Salad, Avocado Dip, Pistachio Cake, Green Gelatin with Fruit, etc. to spruce up your food spread.

Make green cookies with your kids and let them take a few dozen to school!

Years ago I worked with a sales rep that always brought us green bagels on St Patrick's Day. Everyone looked forward to it and he always got an appointment!

Put up some decorations inside and outside your home! Your kids will love helping.

Have a party! Its a great excuse to get friends together after a long, cold winter. For tunes listen to some of the Great Irish groups like U2, or if you are old enough to remember Rory Gallagher.

Just don't drink too much green beer!

If you are a musician organize a jam session with your friends and learn some Old Irish Folk songs.

Don't forget to make Corn Beef and Cabbage!! This can become a great family tradition.

Look up some fun Irish drinking songs you can sing with your buddies.

Just for fun, put an "O"in front of your last name for the day.

A fun drink to try on St. Patrick's Day is an Irish Car Bomb. Pour some Bailey's Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey into a shot glass making sure to layer the Bailey's on the bottom. Then pour some Guinness Beer into a tall mug or pint glass but only about three-fourths of the way full. When you are ready to drink, drop the shot glass into Guinness and chug the drink. You have to drink it fast for best taste. Just don't drink too many!

Go on a search with your kids to find some four leafed clovers. Place them all in a book to flatten and preserve them.

A great dessert for the day is Irish Soda Bread. You can get the recipe online.

If you are going to a St. Paddy's Day party, make sure to designate a driver or take a cab.

String up some green Christmas lights inside or outside your home.

For a fun St. Patrick's Day breakfast idea, get some green food coloring so you can make Green Eggs and Ham!

If you love to dance, this is a great time to pick up on some Irish dancing. try to pick up some lessons or watch some dancers in action during the holiday.

There are lots of stores that sell inexpensive St. Patrick's Day jewelry. The kids can wear some temporary shamrock tattoos.

If you want to experience an unforgettable St. Patrick's Day, take a trip to a place where they go over-the-top to celebrate the holiday. Here are the top five cities to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as rated by CNN: Boston, MA; Savannah, GA; Chicago, IL; Seattle, WA; and Phoenix, AZ.

Impress your friends on SPD. Go online and learn a few great Irish quotes and fit them into your conversations.

For some extra St. Paddy's Day fun, learn some traditional Irish Drinking Toasts so you can recite them before each round!

Don't forget to look up some good potato recipes. Potatoes have always been a major part of every Irishman's diet.

If you are a parent or a teacher, find some fun St. Patrick's Day crafts the kids can do to celebrate the holiday.

To get in the mood, rent a classic Irish movie like "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

St. Patrick's Day is not just about drinking, take some time out and read up on the History of Saint Patrick so you can better appreciate the holiday.

For those that don't drink but still want to be in a St. Patrick's Day mood, try making a green non-alcoholic beverage! You can add green food coloring to ice tea or make limeade! Also if you still want to drink beer, there is the non-alcoholic beer O'Douls!

If you have small children take them to march in a local St. Patrick's Day parade. They will remember it for years!

Take the time to look up your own Irish heritage, if you are that is. You never know where your roots may go.

A great tradition is "Kissing the Blarney Stone." You can make your own Blarney Stone by painting a softball size rock white and adding a pair of green lips.

Try giving back on St. Patrick's Day by donating to an Irish charity. Just make sure to do your due diligence and thoroughly check out any charity organization before giving them money.

If you are someone who likes to dress up your cat or dog, find a fun, festive St. Patrick's Day costume for your pet and get him or her involved in the celebration!

Convert a plain T-shirt into a St Patricks day shirt:
Just buy a tube of green fabric paint from any craft store and paint a few shamrocks to the front and back of the T-shirt. Add a 4 leaf clover to each sleeve and you are done.

Don't forget to end the day with a cup Of Irish Coffee. There are lots of great variations. A simple one is: one ounce of Baileys to one cup of coffee. Top it off with whipped cream.

If you're going to stay home on St. Paddy's day, you could have a movie marathon featuring famous Irish actors like Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Peter O'Toole, Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne, Kenneth Branagh, Patrick Dempsey, etc.

Learn how to play some traditional Irish games for St. Patrick's Day such as Hurling, Camogie, Gaelic Football, Handball and Rounders.

Be careful if you decide to travel to Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as many of the customs observed in America are not done in Ireland. For example in Ireland, they do not wear green or drink green beer.

If you have kids, there are many great St. Patrick's Day related books that you can read to them.

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, people pin a few shamrocks to their jacket lapel, dress, or shirt.