St Patrick's Day Activities To Try
Samir Badawy
10 March, 2023
6 mins read
Entertainment
St Patrick's day is a special day both for the Irish people and the Irish community as a whole. It has evolved to represent both St. Patrick and the Irish culture. It has developed to involve many people curious about Irish culture and is known for its green theme, which you can see in clothes, costumes, decorations, and more.
St Patrick's day, also known as a feast day, takes place every March 17th to acknowledge the Saint on his day of death. This holiday is one of Ireland's national holidays to honour St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint and one of Ireland's most prominent religious figures. There are various stories regarding St Patrick, including that he used Shamrock to explain the Trinity.
Whether you're in Ireland or surrounded by an Irish community, there is a variety of fun activities related to the holiday as well as a variety of activities for fun that match up with the holiday's atmosphere.
Attending a St Patrick's Day Event
Suppose you want to experience this holiday to the fullest. In that case, there's no better way to do so than to attend it in Ireland, where the holiday originates from an Irish community. Traditionally, it is customary to attend prayers and recite blessings on St Patrick's day; many Catholics enjoy this holiday as a break from Lent as it usually falls after Lent, which is a fasting period.
Surprisingly, the first Patrick's Day Parade took place in Boston during the 1700s and was popularised by Irish American immigrants, so it did not start as an Irish tradition. Even though it began as a religious holiday, it developed into much more. Nowadays, it is considered Ireland's grandest celebration attracting tourists from all over the world. These parades occur in Ireland and among countries with a significant Irish population, such as the USA. Marching bands, dance, performances, costumes, and more usually come with these parades.
Cook and Try Excellent St Patrick's Day Food
St Patrick's day is all about celebrating the Irish culture; with that said, part of the celebration involves food. The most known food consumed during Saint Patrick's day is corned beef and cabbage in the US, which evolved from the traditional lamb or bacon consumed on Saint Patrick's day in Ireland. Here are some different activities you cna do using food!
1. Cook or Have an Irish Meal
Even though cooking new food is more enjoyable, you might only sometimes have time, so instead, you can look for ready-to-eat options. Some of the traditional meals eaten on St Patrick's day include:
Corned beef and cabbage.
Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes).
Beef Stew.
Shepherd's pie.
Among many other dishes you must try, it would be a fantastic St Patrick's activity if you would get the recipes and try them out for yourself.
2. Make or Try Irish Desserts
We have previously discussed the meals you could try or prepare yourself on Saint Patrick's day; now it's time to mention how you can best enjoy this holiday if you have a sweet tooth! The Irish sure do love desserts, and some of their favourites on St Patrick's include:
Shortbread Squares.
Irish Apple Cake.
Irish Bread Pudding.
Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce.
3. Baking Soda Bread
Baking Soda Bread is a must-try, so much so that we gave it its own section. Soda Bread is one of the most traditional Irish foods and goes very well with various Irish dishes and stews. This bread is known for having a unique texture and a different taste than other bread and does not use yeast as other bread types do. It is also considered relatively easy to prepare. If you're feeling like trying something new, especially trying baking, Soda Bread is an excellent and easy start.
Experience Irish Culture
Since St Patrick's day is about representing the Irish culture, it would be great to read more about it and experience it fully. Making food and attending celebrations is definitely part of the experience. Still, they can also be considered an activity independently as it is fun and a great way to enjoy St Patrick's! We'll be discussing more ways to experience Irish culture.
1. Learn Irish Tap Dancing
Irish tap dancing is one of Ireland's most recognisable cultural elements that is known worldwide; it is mainly being spread worldwide by the famous Riverdance shows. It is an essential part of the Irish culture and one of the ways St Patrick's is celebrated, especially during the St Patrick parades. It would be amazing if you could learn a new move at Saint Patrick's, and it would be a memorable experience; if available, you could also take a class just for fun!
2. Listen to Irish Music
Similarly to how the Irish love their food, the Irish also sure do love their music. Ireland has various folk bands that play for audiences and dance groups, and these performances are an experience that can send you to another country. Some of the country's top folk musical talents include the Dubliners, the Chieftains, the Pogues, the Wolfe Tones, and many more. It seems that Ireland does not run out of musical talents!
3. Read Irish Poetry
Ireland has produced a variety of great writers and poets, and sampling some of their work is a unique way of experiencing Irish culture. Nowadays, Irish poetry can be read online and listened to on various platforms such as Youtube and Spotify. Some of the best-known Irish poets include James Joyce's Ulysses, W. B. Yeats, and Seamus Heaney.
St Patrick's Day Fun Activities
Aside from experiencing the culture, attending celebrations, and cooking, you can also plan out various St Patrick's day activities, which are activities for fun that you set up yourself or with the help of friends.
1. Playing Games
There is a variety of games that you can play on St Patrick's day that can be traditional or draw inspiration from the event, one of which is "Catch the Coin", in this game, one of the attendees is picked to be the leprechaun and is supposed to guess which one in the circle is holding the gold coin. You can also play trivia games with your friends on what you've learned about St Patrick's day. Another fun and easy game is Pot of Gold, played with plastic coins, preferably with different colours to represent different teams, and a pot. Each team should get as many coins in the pot as possible in the shortest amount of time.
2. Making Handmade Crafts
Another part of the enjoyable St Patrick's day activities involves making handmade crafts, some of which you can use to decorate your house. Others can be gifted to family and friends, such as crafting creative-looking letters for Saint Patrick's. Some creative crafts for decorating include redecorating your mugs with creative art, wax art, cutouts, and more.
3. Decorating
Decorating is an essential part of St Patrick's activities and an exceptional activity for fun. On Saint Patrick's day, the main theme is Green, so expect to load up your room with as many green decorations as possible; this also includes Shamrocks, another traditional holiday decoration. Another theme you can use is themes associated with Leprauchauns, so whether it's a pot of gold or a Leprauchaun figurine, that would also be an amazing decoration. And remember the lucky charms. Some St Patrick's day decorations are ready-made and can be bought for the occasion; these include green tablecloths, Saint Patrick garlands, signs, posters, fun designs for both dining tables and coffee tables, and so much more.
4. Picking what to wear
Saint Patrick's day is an enjoyable occasion for those who enjoy dressing up. You can wear green clothes and jewellery pieces or full costumes as you'll see many sporting Leprechaun hats and beards and many going full Leprechaun by wearing the full costume. Many also choose to dress up as St Patrick in Green!
Saint Patrick's day is an extraordinary occasion that should be celebrated with family and friends. You can get to enjoy this day there! At Casita, we help students in over 90 different countries find their perfect student homes, especially in Ireland and the USA; if you're looking for information regarding Ireland student accommodation or Dublin student accommodation, you can find more information on our website, and you can also contact one of our accommodation experts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is St Patrick the patron saint of?
Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, being one of its most prominent religious figures and helping spread Christianity in Ireland.
2. Why is St Patrick's Day celebrated on March 17th
St Patrick's day, also known as a feast day, takes place every March 17th to acknowledge the Saint on his day of death.
3. What are some of Saint Patrick's traditions?
Saint Patrick's is a very festive holiday which is often celebrated with parades, dance, music, and food. Some traditions include wearing green, eating corned beef, enjoying Irish music, attending religious ceremonies, hanging out with friends, and more.
