St Patrick’s Day is just one week away. We have all accepted that we will be marking the occasion in lockdown mode. But that does not mean that we cannot celebrate in style and use our creativity to make the day as special as we possibly can. Let’s stop focusing on the things that we cannot do and instead switch our attention to embracing the things that we can do. Here are my 10 suggestions for celebrating St Patrick’s Day in lockdown:
STYLE IT UP
There is no quicker way to cheer ourselves up than by having a bit of fun with fancy dress. It is almost guaranteed to boost the mood and will give you a great excuse to take some fun St Patrick’s Day snaps. Many supermarkets around the country will offer St Patrick’s Day themed merchandise over the coming days but if you want to go all out, here are some great Irish costume retailers:
- Costume Corner – Visit Website
- Joke Shop – Visit Website
- My Fancy Dress – Visit Website
- Party World – Visit Website
- The Costume Shop – Visit Website
ST PATRICK’S DAY REUNION
The hardest part of St Patrick’s Day in lockdown is not being able to spend it with our family and friends. So why not schedule a St Patrick’s Day themed family reunion video call. You can all have a great laugh at the most creative costume and enjoy a virtual toast and a bit of craic!
REINVENT THE PARADE
It is obviously not safe for us to congregate for our annual large parade events but that does not mean that you have to miss it completely. Why not watch the RTE Virtual Parade or follow one of the numerous events taking place on www.stpatricksfestival.ie. Or why not have a bit of fun with the kids and create your own parade at home!
FUN IN THE KITCHEN
St Patricks Day is a bit like Christmas Day in that we give ourselves free reign to eat and drink whatever we like without feeling one bit guilty! So why not have some fun with the family and bake a St Patricks Day themed treat. Any recipe can be slightly altered to give it a St Patricks Day flair, but CLICK HERE for my ‘Back to Basics’ recipe for simple delicious St Patricks Day cupcakes!
COLOURING COMPETITION
Why not keep the kids distracted for a little while with some St Patrick’s Day colouring. There are endless pictures that you can find online and print for free at home. Throw in a prize and you’ve got yourself a competition that will keep them engaged for quite a while!
PAY IT FORWARD
Let’s be honest, if we were not in lockdown we would no doubt be out and about spending a lot of money on St Patrick’s Day! So why not use this year to do some good and redirect some of that money to help a much needed local charity.
HAVE A TOAST
There is no point denying that a major part of St Patricks Day in Ireland is enjoying a few drinks! So if you are planning a session, why not support Irish along the way. I recently featured THE BEST IRISH CRAFT BEER ON THE MARKET and YOUR FAVOURITE IRISH WHISKEY BRANDS. Always drink responsibly.
PUT UP THE FEET
If you love to read and want to spend St Patricks Day with your feet up and a book in your hand, then why not support a small independent Irish bookshop and one of our many fantastic Irish authors. CLICK HERE for a list of great independent Irish book stores that you can buy online from today.
COOK UP A STORM
If you are planning on cooking dinner yourself then keep it traditional by making some Bacon & Cabbage or a Traditional Irish Stew (CLICK HERE for a delicious, simple to follow Irish Stew recipe). If you are lazy to cook, than why not give some much needed support to an Irish restaurant or hotel by ordering a delicious takeaway.
THE BEST OF THE BOX
Chances are that a decent chunk of our day is going to involve sitting in front of the TV. Over the coming days I will be researching the best Irish TV offerings on our national stations and on Netflix and will bring you the results early next week. If you have any great suggestions please be sure to send them my way.
Most importantly, remember to be kind, support each other and have fun!
Have you any other suggestions for fun, creative things that we can do on St Patrick’s Day? We are all in this together. I would really love to hear from you so that we can all celebrate together in style. If you have decided to take one of these suggestions on board, we would all love to be part of the action, so please be sure to tag us in your posts using the social media handle @livewhatyoulove.ie.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
What do you think?