Hosting an Epic St. Paddy’s Day Party

By / Food / March 10th, 2014 / 1

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Hosting a St. Paddy’s Day party requires more than slapping on a green shirt and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. It’s about…

The Décor

White, gold or orange keep the room from feeling like a green house; find balance for your party with green-tinted light bulbs, green and orange streamers and white balloons. Incorporate shamrocks, bells and white calla lilies into your table setting. Shamrocks are the symbol of Ireland; the Bells of Ireland mean good luck; and white Calla Lilies signify beauty.

Cloch na Blarnan (Blarney Stone)

Use a Styrofoam boulder to recreate the legendary kissing stone. Legend is that whoever kisses the stone will receive the gift of the gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). Place the stone in the entrance and have your guests start the night off with a blessing.

The Dress

Dress to the nines with a green blazer, scarf and bowler hat complete with Shamrock (think Lucky, the Lucky Charms’ Leprechaun). Have a bowl of “Kiss me I’m Irish” buttons available for those friends who arrive sans green.

The Tunes

Fill your iPod with Irish ditties. Mix up traditional folk songs and famous Irish musicians. Almost every music store has a Celtic section you can browse if you get stuck… and if they don’t, they will for the week leading up to the 17th!

The Food & Beverages

Go traditional – potatoes, Guinness, Colcannon or Boxties, Irish Coffee – feed your guests the fare of an Irishman. There’s nothing like Flitters and the Black Stuff to make guests feel the spirit of the day.

The Final Piece

Remember your pots of gold. Fill green plastic pots with gold-wrapped chocolate coins, and either hide them around your house and have a scavenger hunt or scatter them around the room so that guests can munch on them throughout the night.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A freelance writer and editor, Lisa Hoekstra loves learning and trying new things. She can be found with her nose in a book or multiple tabs open on her browser as she researches the latest and greatest in the world of food, style and everything in between.

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