15 Fun Ways to Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day

St. Patrick's Day, named after the patron saint of Ireland, is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on the 17th of March. St. Patrick’s Day is now celebrated by many people throughout the world, Irish and non-Irish alike, with food, drink, and all things green. We interviewed professional bartenders and an Irish art and culture expert to teach you all the best ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with friends, family, or by yourself. We’ll also explain what St. Patrick’s Day is and when it’s celebrated.

The next St. Patrick's Day is Wednesday, March 17, 2027.

How to Clebrate Saint Patrick’s Day

Wear green (this one's a must!).
Attend a local St. Patrick's Day parade or festival.
Go on a pub crawl with friends.
Eat traditional Irish foods, like corned beef and Irish soda bread.
Play some Irish music.
Look for four-leaf clovers.
Set up a leprechaun trap with your kids.

Section 1 of 3:

Best Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

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1
Wear green. One of the most popular ways to show some St. Paddy’s Day spirit is by wearing green. In fact, if you don’t wear green, you might get pinched! Keep it casual with a plain green shirt or get a little more festive with a “Kiss me, I’m Irish” T-shirt or a sweater with a giant shamrock on it.^{[1]
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- If you want to be more subtle, rock a T-shirt with an Irish beer moniker, such as Harp of Guinness.
- If you want to go all out, buy or make a leprechaun costume, complete with white stockings, a green top hat, and a fake (or real!) red beard.
- If you're working on March 17th, you can still get into the festive spirit by incorporating a little green into your work attire. Try a green-striped polo or collared shirt, a green or shamrock-dotted tie, or green socks and undies for the closet St. Paddy's Day fans.
- Why do you get pinched on St. Patrick’s Day? According to Irish-American folklore, wearing green is believed to make you invisible to leprechauns, who would pinch anyone they see.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Mimi Perryman is a bartender and the owner of Events with LML, an events company based in Los Angeles, CA. She specializes in traveling bartender services and event planning.

Mark Weiser is an Irish art and culture expert. He creates art pieces inspired by Irish and Celtic art, featuring the Gaelic language.

Yasmin Rosales is a professional bartender based in South Florida. She has 18 years of experience in the event and hospitality industry.
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Accessorize with shamrocks or face paint. On St. Patrick’s Day, nothing is too gaudy or outlandish. Rock some shamrocks, a popular Irish symbol, on buttons, pins, or jewelry as a simple way to express your support of the holiday. If you’re attending a festival or parade, consider painting your face. Keep it cute with a small shamrock on your cheek, or go all out by painting your full face as the Irish flag.
- It is a tradition in Ireland for everyone attending parades or generally celebrating to wear a small collection of Shamrock fastened by a clothespin to their top (in the same place a badge would be worn).
- Dying your hair or your pet's fur bright green is also a great way to stand out. Be sure to use a non-toxic dye.
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Eat traditional Irish foods. Beer and spirits are not the only great consumable goods to come out of Ireland. Corned beef, cabbage, and lamb stew, accompanied by traditional Irish soda bread, are tasty ways to "keep it real." Potatoes are about as Irish as you can get and are one of the staples of the Irish diet.^{[2]
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- Traditional Irish foods include bangers and mash, colcannon, bacon (boiled ham) and cabbage, stew, boxty, Shepherd's Pie, potato bread, and black pudding.
- In Ireland, the day is usually celebrated by eating food such as pink bacon or savory roast chicken. Note that corned beef and cabbage is more of an Irish-American tradition than an authentically Irish one.
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Play some Irish music. Ireland has a long history with music, and many incredible styles have emerged. Celtic, folk, and traditional Irish pub songs might just get you in the St. Patrick's Day spirit! Play some Irish music at home, listen to it on the radio (some stations will have special St. Patrick's Day features), or find out about any Irish bands or musicians playing locally.
- Find or create a playlist of traditional Irish songs. Check out artists such as The Chieftains, The Dubliners, Planxty, and Clannad, for example.
- If traditional music isn't your thing, don't forget about the many contributions Irish musicians have made to the world of rock and pop. Think U2, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy, and The Cranberries.
- Alternatively, try your hand at some traditional Irish instruments, such as the tin whistle, the bodhrán, the harp, the fiddle, or the uilleann pipes.
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Take an Irish dance class. Irish dancing is a form of step dancing that is popular in Ireland and all over the world. Not only will it impress everyone you know, but it's also a fun way to increase flexibility and burn calories! Learn how to Irish dance by attending classes in your local area or by copying some of the excellent Irish dancing videos and tutorials online. Whip out a few impressive steps and lifts the next time you hear a reel or a jig, and nobody will question your Irish credentials.^{[3]
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- Get some friends together and learn how to céili (kay-lee) dance—a form of Irish social dancing that can be done with as few as two and as many as sixteen people.
- If you get good enough, you can compete in the many feiseanna or Irish dancing competitions that take place all over the world. Even better, you can volunteer to perform in the next St. Patrick's Day parade!
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Check out the pub scene. Most bars and pubs love St. Patrick's Day, as it's one of the few holidays known for a marked increase in alcohol consumption, so many will be catering to patrons with a festive St. Patrick's theme. You may find special prices on draft beer, food, and cover charges. Call around to your favorite joints and ask if they have any celebration plans.^{[4]
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- A pub crawl can be a great way to get some friends together and explore the local pub scene, especially if there are a lot of Irish bars in your area. Make a list of the pubs you want to visit in advance (if you are ambitious, you could aim for 17 pubs in honor of March 17th!), then make a rule that everyone needs to have a pint in each pub you visit. 17 US pints (8,000 ml) of Guinness anyone?
- It would be a shame to drink Budweiser on St. Patrick's Day, regardless of where in the world you are. If Guinness isn't your thing, try a pint of Bulmers (also called Magners) cider, Smithwick's ale, Jameson Irish whiskey or some Bailey's Irish cream. Whatever you drink, avoid any green beer.
- Drink responsibly, and make sure you have a safe way to get home at the end of the night.
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Attend a local parade or festival. Many cities around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, so don’t sweat if you can’t actually go to Ireland. St Patrick’s Day parades often feature the best of local dance troupes, marching bands, gymnasts, and musicians in addition to spectacular themed floats and brightly costumed participants. Enjoy the parade as a spectator or contact your local parade organization committee to get involved.^{[5]
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- There are many ways to participate in your local parade. Get dressed up and march in the parade yourself, help design costumes or floats, or help out with the organization of the parade. St. Patrick's Day is a festive, communal holiday, so get involved!
- Though small towns aren't likely to have parades, many large cities such as New York City, Boston, St. Louis, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Montreal, and Sydney have great celebrations.
- Savannah, GA, boasts the second-largest parade in the United States, while out of any US state, Boston has the highest number of Irish descendants by percentage of population, and its South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade is the first recorded anywhere in the world.^{[6]
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Shamrocks are actually 3-leaf clovers, but many people also associate 4-leaf clovers with St. Patrick’s Day. If the weather’s nice, spend some time outdoors and see if you can find a 4-leaf clover. It might even bring you some good luck!^{[7]
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If you’re celebrating with kids, help them build a leprechaun trap. Grab a cardboard box or tin can and decorate it with green, gold, and typical leprechaun symbols, like rainbows and shamrocks. Set the trap up the night before St. Patrick’s Day. When the kids go to sleep, fill the trap with signs that a leprechaun has visited, such as chocolate coins or Lucky Charms.^{[8]
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Host a St. Patrick’s Day party at home. If you aren't a fan of the bar scene but still want to celebrate, invite a few friends over and have a St. Patrick's Day-themed party. Go as extreme or as laid back as you want: insist that everyone wear green or just have them come as they are and chill out with a few beers. As for decorations, business owner and bartender Mimi Perryman recommends using green sparkles and 3-leaf clovers to really tie your party’s theme together.^{[9]
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- Consider starting a tradition, such as watching a movie (The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara is a fun choice)
- Serve some Irish-inspired food, like corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew with colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage).
- Get even more festive by making green beer and green chocolate chip cookies for your party.
- In Ireland, it is common to get together with family for St. Patrick's Day, so perhaps you'd like to do this too.
Unwind after a long day of celebrating by curling up on the couch and watching some of your favorite Irish movies or TV shows. The Secret of Roan Inish, The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, and The Luck of the Irish are some good family-friendly options. Derry Girls is great if you’re looking for a hilarious TV show, and the horror movie Leprechaun is perfect if you’re looking for something scary and funny.^{[10]
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Learn some Irish words or phrases. The Irish have their own distinct dialect of the English language, so if you want to sound like a true Paddy on St. Patrick's day, try sprinkling some of these Hiberno-English gems into your conversation:
- Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit: This is how you say “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” in Gaelic.
- Craic: This is a very important word in Ireland and can be used to describe your enjoyment of an event or activity, e.g. "How was the party?" "Ah sure, it was great craic altogether!" Use "craic" in the correct context, and you'll earn major points with the Irish.
- What's the craic? This phrase can be interpreted as either "How's it going?" or "What's going on?" or "What's up?" and is used in non-formal settings.
- Grand: Grand is another multi-purpose word in Hiberno-English. It translates as "fine" or "great" depending on the context. "I'm grand" is a perfectly acceptable reply to the question "How are you?" and means the person is doing just fine.
- Eejit: Eejit is basically the Irish word for idiot. If someone does something silly or stupid, you can comment, "Ah, ya big eejit!" It's not meant to be offensive; rather, it's used to make fun of someone in a playful way.
- Slainte: Irish art and culture expert Mark Weiser says this means “cheers” in Gaelic, so you’ll likely hear it a lot if you go to a pub on St. Patrick’s Day.^{[11]
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- Weiser adds that Gaelic “is very confusing. Do not think it is like French, German, Italian, or Spanish and that you can ‘sound it out’ by looking at the spelling. You can’t. You have to study it. Even though it uses the Roman alphabet, it does not follow our English rules of pronunciation.”^{[12]
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While many people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day secularly, it also holds a lot of spiritual meaning, as it honors St. Patrick, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Many churches hold special services on the holiday because of this.^{[13]
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Eat green foods. This is a fun activity for people of all ages. Since the color green is closely associated with St. Patrick’s Day, see how many green foods you can eat. These can be naturally green foods, like vegetables, or fun foods that you dye yourself. Consider using green food dye to make St. Patrick’s Day-themed cupcakes or cookies, for example.
- If you’re of legal drinking age, professional bartender Yasmin Rosales recommends making St. Patrick’s Day-themed Jello shots with whiskey or Guinness and dyeing them green.^{[14]
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Travel to Ireland. What better way to celebrate the quintessential Irish holiday than a trip to the land of Saints and Scholars? Dublin, the capital city, usually holds a five-day festival in honor of the holiday and is the location of Ireland's largest and most impressive St. Patrick's Day parade. The city buzzes with life over the course of the festival—thousands of tourists flood the city, and the pubs are overflowing with travelers and locals alike, eager to "drown the shamrock". So if you're looking to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in true Irish fashion, this is the place to be!
- Alternatively, take a trip to the country to escape from the tourist-ridden streets of Dublin and experience a quieter, more authentic version of the holiday. Most towns will have some semblance of a parade, but the real reason to go is for the vibrant pub scene, where you can enjoy high-quality traditional and contemporary Irish music surrounded by an authentic Irish crowd!
- As mentioned above, thousands of tourists flock to Ireland every March, so it's advisable to book flights and accommodation well in advance to avoid soaring prices and possible disappointment.
- If you visit a pub in Ireland, Weiser says, “You might be tempted to buy a round [for everyone]. Here is the situation that you create: Now, each person you buy a round for is obligated to buy a round! It is an iron-clad rule. The same applies to you. So, if they turn you down, it might be because they are leaving soon and can’t buy a second or third round.”^{[15]
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Section 2 of 3:

What is St. Patrick’s Day?

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St. Patrick’s Day is a religious and cultural holiday honoring St. Patrick. St. Patrick's Day has been observed as a religious festival in Ireland for over a thousand years, though it was only recognized as a celebration of Irish culture and heritage in the 1970s. The day is named in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who has been credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.^{[16]
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- St. Patrick's actual name was likely Maewyn Succat. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery at age 16, and to help him endure his enslavement, he turned to God.^{[17]
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- 6 years after his captivity began, St. Patrick escaped to France, where he became a priest, and then the second Bishop of Ireland. He spent the next 30 years establishing schools, churches, and monasteries across the country. He brought Christianity widespread acceptance amongst the pagan indigenous peoples.^{[18]
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- It is thought that St. Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor for the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), showing how three individual units could be part of the same body. His parishioners began wearing shamrocks to his church services. Today, "the wearing of the green" on St. Patrick's Day represents spring, shamrocks, and Ireland.^{[19]
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Section 3 of 3:

When is St. Patrick’s Day?

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St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th every year. It’s celebrated on this date because March 17th is the traditional, recorded death date of St. Patrick.^{[20]
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- March 17th also falls during Lent, so historically, St. Patrick’s Day was a reprieve from Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol.^{[21]
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Why do people get pinched for not wearing green?

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Pinching people who aren't wearing green is an American tradition that's meant to remind people that not wearing green could get them pinched by a "leprechaun." It's just a fun tradition!

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What should I do if someone pinches me for not wearing green and I don't like it?

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Tell them that you forgot, and ask them to please not pinch you. And, sometimes, to prevent getting pinched at all, you could even just cut out the shape of a star from green cardstock or heavy paper and pin it to your shirt using a safety pin.

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How is this holiday celebrated?

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Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe (Irish traditional music sessions), and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. There are also formal gatherings, such as banquets and dances, although these were more common in the past. Most establishments that serve liquor will be decorated, and offer Irish drink specials and green beer.

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The 8th-17th of March is Seachtain na Gaeilge, which translates to "Week of Ireland/Irish". If you're Irish, try to celebrate this week by speaking more Irish than you would normally.

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Some people celebrate this day by pinching people who are not wearing green. There are many people who don't like to be pinched, though, so be careful!

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Green donuts can be fun, especially if you can shape them into a clover. Quite a few stores make these if you'd rather buy them.

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Be respectful. St. Patrick's Day began as a Catholic feast day and is still regarded as such in Ireland. Some people in Ireland, particularly in the countryside, still observe the feast day by attending mass. Although drinking and partying on St. Patrick's Day is widespread, it is important to be aware of this fact.

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Be responsible. Whether you are going out to a bar or over to a friend's, drinking and driving is not acceptable. Select a designated driver in advance who will not drink and will be sure you get home safely.

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