Irish You the Best St. Patty’s Party Ever

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! Are you gearing up for the biggest March holiday? While the tradition of St. Patrick’s Day parades and parties did not start on the Emerald Isle itself, the holiday is now a global celebration and a day when everyone is a bit Irish. And if not, just sprinkle on a little (or more) green, grab a Guinness and you’re good to go.

The actual holiday is always March 17; however, festivities last most of the month. If the 17th itself doesn’t fall on a Saturday, Chicago’s parade and river dyeing ceremony are always the Saturday prior. Seeing the Chicago River dyed a fantastic shade of emerald green should be on everyone’s Patty’s Day bucket list. In New York City, the parade is always on March 17. This parade, along with Boston, is the largest St. Patrick’s parade in the U.S.

Regardless of when or where you celebrate…celebrate! There is just something about the rush of planning and preparing for a party. Starting with your theme or occasion, you then get to choose colors, decor, food, drink and entertainment to create the perfect atmosphere for you and your guests. Looking forward to our own St. Patrick’s Day parties, we’ve pulled together a few ideas for you to throw a smashing success that will have nothing to do with luck.

Decor

Here at FYP, we are definitely fans of a well-placed DIY. Do-It-Yourself projects are often cost effective, tailored to exactly what you need, and oh-so-satisfying to complete. Don’t those fabulous LUCKY letters make you want to get crafting!? We love this quick tutorial from MadeByMarzipan.com. All you need are wooden block letters and copper colored paint, both of which can be picked up at your local craft store. And of course, the pennies! Those can probably be picked up from the bottom of your purse.

Drinks

There are lots of festive options out there in terms of green drinks, even kid-friendly concoctions. We went with this (adult) Fuzzy Leprechaun recipe. Deck out your drinks by adding a colorful straw and Personalized Straw Tag with a cheery saying.

Ingredients
1 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz Blue Curacao
1 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Orange Juice
½ oz Pineapple Juice
Ice
Orange slice and cherry for garnish

Directions
1. Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well
2. Strain into a glass of ice and garnish with an orange and cherry

Of course, you won’t want to serve your themed drinks and appetizers without the perfect complementary Personalized Cocktail Napkins. In this case, green with all the shamrocks and good luck to be found.

Treats

Colored green, rainbow and gold, shaped as shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, rainbows, celtic knots…seriously, Pinterest will suggest sweet and savory snacks in all of the above. Just take your pick and click! The recipe for these adorable Shamrock Rice Krispie Treats is fairly simply. Just add green food coloring to your traditional Rice Krispie recipe, use a shamrock cookie cutter and top with sprinkles. Voila!

Have any special St. Patrick’s Day traditions of your own? Tell us in the comments below!

Cheers,
Grace