We are well into March, and that means it’s almost time for St. Patrick’s Day 2023. There is definitely no doubt that St. Patrick’s Day activities have come a long way from the historical celebrations of a man who chased all of the snakes away in Ireland. Our modern-day St. Patrick’s ideas are less about history and more about celebrating and frivolities with friends and family.
You may not get the day off from work to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but you can still have plenty of fun. If you’re looking for places to go for St. Patrick’s Day, there is likely no shortage of them in your area with pub crawls, parties, parades, and other special events. Just remember that while you’re having a good time, you also need to be sure you’re being safe.
Ready to plan your fun this March? Read on for St. Patrick’s Day safety tips and ideas about how to have a good time, make new memories, and enjoy time with your friends.
- Most popular activities on St. Patrick's Day
- Top places to go celebrate
- Top St. Patrick's Day safety tips
9 Most Popular Activities on St. Patrick’s Day
How do you usually celebrate this day? You put on something green with shamrock, eat corned beef, cabbage and drink green beer. However, you can do much more, and some fun activities and tips for St. Patrick’s Day activities are as follows:
1. Host a St. Patrick’s Day party with Irish dances
Set a dress code with green attire, like wearing a green T-shirt with a large shamrock on it, Irish flags of green, white, and orange. Provide your guests with entering word, Irish-related sayings (like "Kiss me, I'm Irish!") or St Patrick's song like this one:
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
That I overlooked before.
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain,
Third is the roses that grow in the lane.
2. Host a St. Patrick’s Day celebration
Why not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at home with your best friends and family members? Start with a traditional Irish meal with staples like soda bread, black pudding, roast chicken, and plenty of potatoes. Then, serve your food along with some traditional Guinness or other Irish spirits and finish the night with Irish coffee. One of the best places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is at home with loved ones, after all.
3. Learn how to céili (kay-lee) dance
It’s Irish social dancing. And then, organize an Irish dancing competition. Play St. Patrick's Day games, like “Hot potato”, "Pot o' Gold" treasure hunt (a search for gold chocolate coins), etc.
4. Visit a St. Patrick's Day Parade
Most large cities, such as New York City, Boston, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Chicago have parades. Put on something green and enjoy Irish music, dancing, and get some free candy.
5. Watch Irish movies
If you are not attending parades or hosting parties, but prefer a family evening, you might as well watch Irish movies. The best ones are The Secret of Roan Inish, Waking Ned Devine, Into the West, Circle of Friends, etc.
6. Organize a traditional pub crawl and drink beer
Most bars and pubs offer special prices on draft beer, food, and cover charges. Not only beer is popular on this day, but other famous Irish drinks, too. You can try a pint of Bulmers (or Magners) cider, Smithwick's ale, Jameson Irish whiskey or some Bailey's Irish cream. Watch this video for more information about St. Patrick's Day celebration.
7. Head to a local St. Patrick’s Day party
As restaurants have opened back up, bars are doing a booming business. Look for special events in your area hosted by pubs and bars that might have an opportunity to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with other party-seekers in your area. Just remember, if you’re going to party this year, follow some Saint Patrick’s Day safety tips!
8. Have an Irish Coffee
Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with delicious Irish coffee, the tastiest cocktail that consists of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, topped with cream. You can also sprinkle some chocolate on the top of the cream. Savor it slowly and enjoy the moment.
9. Prepare gifts for your family and friends
St. Patrick’s Day is a perfect opportunity to give a gift to someone you care for. Start considering your St. Patrick’s Day gift ideas in advance to have enough time for preparation. Do not forget that any holiday is a hot time for most stores. So, you may come across problems with shipping, ordering, or both. Following up with St. Patrick’s Day reviews can help prevent issues if you read them before making purchases.
In the Stop and Shop review #3429200 St. Patrick’s Day reviews, one unhappy customer complained about several issues. Not only have they not been able to use the digital coupon app, but they also have failed to address a resupply issue. According to the review, the store ran short of a favorite St. Patrick’s Day item. The review put it succinctly by stating that “running out of corned beef for st Patrick’s day is a sin in Massachusetts.” Let’s hope they get the supply back up for this year!
Top 9 Places to Go Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
What better time to travel than St. Patrick’s Day? It’s not a traditionally traveled day but heading to a new spot for St. Patrick’s Day will give you a chance to party with the locals, see some new sights, and enjoy an entirely new way to celebrate. While Ireland might be the premier destination for St. Patrick’s Day, there are plenty of other cities out there that know how to have a good time.
1. Boston, Massachusetts
It is one of the best places to get in the spirit because almost a quarter of Boston citizens claim Irish ancestry. Boston will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in a big way with a three-mile-long parade route through the city, live music, and other events. The celebration kicks off at 1pm on Sunday, March 19.
2. Savannah, Georgia
Savannah organizes one of the largest parades in the U.S. The St Patrick's Day Parade will start on March 10th, at noon. The fun kicks off when the city turns the Fountain at Forsyth Park green and after two years of cancellations, the event promises to be a good time.
3. New York City, New York
It hosts the world’s biggest parade with 150,000 people participating and about 2 million more bystanders lining the route along Fifth Avenue on March 17 beginning precisely at 11am. Be sure to arrive early to get a good spot to watch what promises to be one of the most enthusiastic and largest celebrations in years.
4. Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is famous for dying its river green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day every year. This year, enjoy the parade, and perhaps a boat cruise along a truly emerald green river on March 11, 2023 starting at 12:30pm.
5. Denver, Colorado
With one of the biggest celebrations west of the Mississippi, Denver is a fun place to be for St. Patrick’s Day. The St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place at 9:30am on March 11, 2023 and winds along a circular path in downtown Denver.
6. Dublin, Ireland
Dublin is the top place to celebrate St Patrick's Day as here everyone becomes Irish. The 2023 St. Patrick’s Day celebration is expected to be extra wild with fifteen marching bands already lined up, carnivals, and the traditional parade on March 17.
7. Montreal, Canada
It has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a parade since 1824. The latest Montreal St. Patrick's Day Parade will begin at noon on March 19, 2023 and is expected to be about three hours long. The list of events includes floats, marching bands, bagpipes, and a giant Saint Patrick figure.
8. London, England
The spirit of the Irish is alive and well in London. Celebrate the holiday in the heart of the city at Trafalgar Square with the historic parade, and a full slate of entertainment on March 12 starting at 12pm.
9. New Orleans, Louisiana
Mardi Gras might be just a month in the past, but New Orleans is always ready to party and they do it again for St. Patrick’s Day. The official New Orleans St. Patrick’s Day parade stretches from 10am – 8pm in downtown on March 11 with beads, flowers, and other fun things thrown from the floats.
Top Saint Patrick’s Day Safety Tips
St. Patrick’s Day is a fun day of celebrations, but like many celebrations that include alcohol and frivolity, you need to be safe. If you’re heading out of your home to celebrate with a crowd this year, consider some of our top Saint Patrick’s Day safety tips below:
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Plan ahead to avoid high-traffic areas or road closures due to the holidays. Traffic and people enjoying a good party aren’t always a good mix.
In one of St. Patrick’s Day reviews #3441488, the customer complained that a parade shut down the route they needed to travel to pick up a time-sensitive item at JC Penney. It arrived while they were out of town, and then “there was a St Patrick’s Day parade in front of the store” so they “decided to pick it up the next day.” But by then, it was too late and the item had been sent back before they could collect it.
- Keep yourself and your money safe by only making reservations that are refundable and allow cancellation.
In one of the St. Patrick’s Day reviews, a consumer shares her experience about her canceled trip and the travel company refusing to refund the full price of the adventure that the company canceled. According to the review (#2377904), “Worldstrides finally offered to refund to those affected by this. After waiting 10 weeks for the refund. I only received a small portion of what I paid.”
- Travel in groups. There is safety in numbers, so be sure you’re with a group of friends, especially if you will be drinking.
- If you are enjoying alcoholic beverages, make a plan for how you will get home. Look for public transportation options nearby before you begin celebrating or be sure you’re prepared to call an Uber. You might also consider simply celebrating within walking distance of home.
- If you are driving, do so defensively. Watch for other drivers who may be intoxicated or distracted and be mindful of pedestrians who might not be aware of their surroundings as they walk. Remember never to drink and drive.
- Start your St. Patrick’s Day fun with a big meal. That way you’ll have plenty in your stomach to help balance any drinking you might enjoy. Drinking on an empty stomach can cause issues.
- Stay hydrated! Green beer may be a St. Patrick’s Day tradition, but it can leave you dehydrated the next morning! Consider matching each beer with a glass of water to stay in balance.
- Eat before you start drinking and stay hydrated. Consider matching each alcoholic drink with a glass of water.
- In case of any accident:
- Stay calm.
- Call for help by calling 911.
- Be sure to take pictures of the accident scene for insurance and police reports.
We can all expect a good time on St. Patrick’s Day in 2023. Everyone has been working hard, and we are ready for a break with friends and family. This year, enjoy the festivities available in your area or take a trip to see what’s new in a fun, new location. However, if you plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, be sure you’re having fun in your favorite way and staying safe!
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