5 Tips for Spending Patrick’s Day with Your Family
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here. You want to keep the family happy, engaged and excited about this special day, right? There are so many things you can do to celebrate Paddy’s Day with the whole family. The emphasis in Ireland is to “Eat, Drink and be Merry.” So be sure all of you are happy today and will be happy tomorrow.
1. Go green
One of the most undeniable traditions is to dress in and produce everything in green. Green costumes, green cakes, green soda, etc. Pack the kids lunches in green paper, use green food dye on the bread (always causes a few giggles). There are many cities that color their rivers green – you can buy non-toxic dyes that will do the same to your backyard pool or pond.
On St. Patrick’s day itself, how about dyeing the family’s hair green? Make sure you get the temporary hair dyes that wash out; there would be an extreme embarrassment if the green were permanent. It might be a good idea to check with your kids school to make sure there are no objections.
2. Create the costumes
With costumes, the Leprechaun reigns supreme. You can rent Leprechaun costumes from many stores or online, but if you prefer to keep the cost down, how about making your own costumes?
You do not have to wear a full costume, add some green accessories to your look and have fun. You can wear a green hat, scarf, or attach artificial shamrock to your jumpers. Just wear something green to get you and your kids in the mood for a great celebration.
3. Make a St. Patrick’s Day dinner
After school food. Prepare a St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Consider making traditional Irish foods like Colcannon (mashed potato with kelp, kale, butter, milk and salt and pepper – kids love this as it is a bright green color), bacon (boiled ham) or corned beef with cabbage (more an American/Irish tradition rather than an Irish tradition), Shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potato), or traditional Irtish soda bread. For dessert – anything that is green or contains green is a go.
Read also – 8 Interesting Facts about St. Patrick’s Day
4. Throw a party
Decorate the house with green decorations for a fun Patrick’s Day party. Many stores stock these, or you could get the kids to help you make your own. Green crepe paper can be cut into Irish four leaf clovers and placed everywhere, or you can make a special game by hiding the clovers and awarding prizes for the kids if they find one. A fun way to help you celebrate is to get the family to try Irish dances – the kids get a great kick out of watching the parents and grandparents trying to dance the Irish jig. Of course, consider the prizes for the best dancers.
5. Story telling
Story telling is a great way to end the day. No one tells a tale like the Irish. You can find many traditional Irish stories online. They include tales about:
- The Sidhe (faerie folk)
- Banshee (woman of the Faerie mount) – many people believe a Banshee to be a ghost or death, but there is more to Banshee than most people know.
- Irish Leprechaun Stories – discover what a leprechaun is and his part in you being lucky if you catch one.
- Changeling – a creature with dark eyes that when you gaze into them, you are supposed to see wisdom well beyond the changeling’s age.
- Pooka – the most feared of the faeries.
- Fionn mac Cumhal (Finn mac Cool) – a brave warrior who made Ireland what it is today.
So there you have it, some of the ways to make St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for you and your family memorable for many years to come. Good luck and as the Irish say. An ni chi na big, ‘s e ni na big. (What the little ones see, the little ones do).
