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Joy in All Things Irish

St. Patrick's Day Is Great for Parties

Do you have any Irish blood in you? Feel proud if you do, but don't worry if you don't. On St. Patrick's Day, so the saying goes, everybody is Irish.

"It's one of the most lively holidays there is," says Patty Sachs, author of Pick-A-Party: The Big Book of Party Themes and Occasions (Meadowbrook Press, 1997). "Hosting a St. Patrick's Day party is so much fun that you'll want to do it every year. And the theme lends itself perfectly."

No Blarney Party Planning
That theme – joy in all things Irish – starts with your invitations. Sachs suggests tucking invites into green party hats and mailing them in padded envelopes. Your invitations should remind guests to wear as much green as possible. Encourage them to be creative.

Continue the cavalcade of green by decorating the party site with balloons, streamers and ribbons in that color. Put up banners and cardboard cutouts of such icons as leprechauns and shamrocks. You can also display posters that depict Ireland or movies with an Irish feel.

Let your guests soak in the festive atmosphere for a moment, then offer them their choice of drinks. It can be anything from Guinness stout to Irish coffee. Your more daring guests may request genuine Irish whisky, and don't disappoint them.

For food, offer corned beef and cabbage. It's also a good idea to set up a baked-potato bar, where guests can choose their own toppings for this staple of Irish cuisine. For dessert, serve ice cream that has had a few drops of green food coloring added to it, of course.

With your guests fed and happy, start the party games. You can organize a sing-along of traditional Irish tunes. Or you can have everyone name songs or movies with "green" in the title. For a more physically active challenge, send your guests on a find-the-shamrock hunt.

Winners of these games get first pick at the party favors. Make sure everyone gets at least one gift, and throw some variety into the prizes. Bars of Irish Spring soap, shamrock plants or "Kiss Me I'm Irish" buttons are all excellent gifts.

With your party a success and your guests happy, start thinking about next year's celebration. And be glad that you're Irish.

Want to see more?

• St. Patrick's Day the Preschool Way
• A St. Patrick's Day Feast
• Seeing Green: St. Patrick's Day Fun With Vegetables
• Talk about it!