How to Throw a St. Patrick's Day Party
Throwing a Saint Patrick's Day party is about more than just drinking. It's about honoring history, heritage, and celebrating all things Irish. Each March, pubs around the country are turned into green dens of Irish cheer. Instead of celebrating at your local pub, bring the party home where you and your friends can toast to the Irish.
First, you should know how to toast in Gaelic. "Sláinte," short for "To Your Health," is pronounced differently depending on the dialect in Ireland, but "slawn-cha" gets the job done. Your party should be a little piece of Ireland brought home. Then, head to a party store and get all the green decorations you can find. This typically includes four leaf clovers, green hats, and certainly some green food dye to turn your beer green. On the way home stop at a liquor store and purchase Guinness and Harp, two delightful Irish beers. Depending upon how many people you have you may want to get a case of each. If you have enough room in your fridge this might be a good idea as people get generally plastered on Saint Patrick's Day.
If you have a TV set up, rent an Ireland travelguide DVD to have on in the background. It should feature the rich landscapes of the beautiful country. In order to get the right music, hook up a computer or smart phone to your sound system and use Pandora to guide the way. The Chieftain's have been performing Irish music for over 40 years and would be a great station to put into a Pandora App. Lastly, in the way of food, feel free to get greasy with meat and potatoes. These two are classic Irish pub food and will satisfy the hunger of all of your guests. Have fun, dance, and toast "Sláinte!" to a wonderful night with friends.
