How to Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day – Best Ideas Explored

Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the world’s most important religious and cultural holidays, and one that’s now celebrated in various locations across the world. From Irish communities in North America and the UK to the Emerald Isle itself, there are more than 70 million people worldwide who participate and claim Irish heritage.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th every year, and will fall on a Monday in 2025. There are many ways in which you can honor the event, whether you want to attend an outdoor festival or play online slots with a distinct Saint Patrick’s Day theme. In this blog post, we’ll look at how to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in 2025 and some of the most exciting options available in the US.

• Brief Introduction to Saint Patrick’s Day and Its History
• List of St Patrick’s Day Celebration Ideas
• Where to Visit in the US – Ways to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day on the Road
• St Patrick’s Party Ideas – How to Celebrate at Home
• Conclusion – Celebrating St. Pat’s Day With Style

Brief Introduction to Saint Patrick’s Day and Its History

St. Patrick’s Day is also known as the ‘Feast of Saint Patrick’, or the ‘Day of the Festival of Patrick’ in some quarters. This cultural holiday is held every year on March 17th, to coincide with the traditional death date of Saint Patrick. He was the foremost patron saint of Ireland, who lived between 385 and 461 AD.

What little is known about Patrick comes from the so-called ‘Declaration’. Apparently, he was a 5th-centurt Romano-British Christian missionary, who also served as a Bishop in Ireland. Born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and subsequently forced into slavery where he worked as a shepherd.

He claimed to have found God during this time, before eventually fleeing to the coast and making his way home. He then became a priest and a Bishop, before spending much of his time attempting to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. His efforts were particularly successful in the north, where Patrick spent numerous years evangelising the northernmost regions in Ireland.

Of course, it should be noted that the ‘Declaration’ was written by Patrick himself, and many of his claims have historic and geographical inconsistencies. Numerous other legends also grew up to envelop the story of Patrick over the generations, however, to the point where became Ireland’s most renowned and beloved saint.

List of St Patrick’s Day Celebration Ideas

Wherever you are in the world, there are plenty of ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. This is particularly true in the US, where you’ll find more than 36 million people who claim Irish as their primary ethnicity. Here’s a breakdown of the best St Patrick’s day celebration ideas, whether you’re willing travel or hosting people at your home!

Where to Visit in the US – Ways to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day on the Road

We’re going to start by looking at the best places to visit in the US when celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Many US states and cities boast large Irish contingents and host a number of events, including lavish parades and even Irish funeral parodies. So, here’s how to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day if you wany to travel out of your home town.

• Visit Boston: Boston is a city with one of the largest Irish populations, at least according to the latest US Census Bureau. This city is therefore home to one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the whole of the US, which dates all the way back to 1901. There’s a raft of other exciting events too, including a themed St. Patrick’s Day Road Race and live performances by the local Irish punk band Dropkick Murphys. You can also visit Beantown and sample the range of famous Irish pubs available, which is one of the most traditional ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
• Attend Savannah’s Historic St Patrick’s Day Parade: The city of Savannah in Georgia is home to a truly historic St. Patrick’s Day parade. The modern iteration of this event combines the best of new and traditional culture, including spectacular marching bands, incredible floats and even classic Irish dancers performing live. Savannah is also home to additional St Patrick’s Day celebration ideas, such as dyeing the water green in the Forsyth Park fountains and tailgating before the aforementioned parade gets underway!
• Enjoy Irish Whiskey Tasting: Pittsburgh is also home to a huge Irish contingent, with one-fifth of the city’s population claiming at least partial Irish heritage. It’s therefore a great place to visit when celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, with the city’s lavish parade also featuring Irish step dancers and extravagant marching bands. Pittsburgh is also the perfect place to enjoy a traditional Irish bar crawl, which feature events such as whiskey tasting and punk rock parties. There are even beer markets available throughout the day!
• Enjoy a Unique Experience in New London: Perhaps the most thrilling and best way to celebrate St Patrick’s day is by booking a trip to New London in Wisconsin. Located around 40 miles west of Green Bay, the picturesque city becomes a humdrum of noise and energy on St. Patrick’s Day. Here, you can enjoy a full Irish funeral parody, complete with mock funeral processions and an antique hearse. You can also enjoy Irish caroling, live Celtic music performances and the largest St. Patrick’s parade in the state of Wisconsin.
• See the Dyeing of the Chicago River: Chicago is also renowned for its large Irish communities, so the city celebrates every single St Patrick’s Day by dyeing is river green. This tradition dates back to 1962, and witnessing it first-hand really is quite a sight. Away from the Chicago River, the city is home to various Irish parades and live music performances, while there’s also a fun 8K run called the ‘Shamrock Shuffle’. Just don’t dare attempt this after enjoying an Irish bar crawl through the city’s center!

St Patrick’s Party Ideas – How to Celebrate at Home

OK, we hear you ask, but what if you have to celebrate St Patrick’s Day at home? This may be the case if you have a young family, or are unable to travel due to work or personal commitments. The good news is that we’ve also provided some tips on how to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in these circumstances, including the following:

Take a Virtual Field Trip to Ireland

Of course, there’s no better place in the world to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than in Ireland itself. If you’re unable to visit the Emerald Isle in person, however, you can take a virtual field trip that exposes you to stunning views of Ireland’s rugged coastlines, rolling green hillsides and various historical sites.

There are plenty of virtual tour providers available, many of which enable you to explore far beyond Ireland’s lush green countryside. You can also visit Irish museums and indoor tourist hotspots, while viewing in exceptional 3d quality. This experience is genuinely affordable too, especially as you won’t have to book flights or accommodation!

Bring Your Party to Life with Costume Contests and Irish Blessings

If you intend to host a family-friendly party on St Patrick’s Day, there are several activities that you can incorporate. One of the best ideas is to host a costume contest, which can be available to both children and adults and inspire every single participant to indulge their creative endeavors. From sporting leprechaun hats to dressing up as St. Patrick himself, this will add a fun and exciting dimension to any party!

You can also enliven your party by reciting one or more Irish blessings. Historically, this is supposed to guarantee good luck for everyone present, while it offers a fascinating insight into ancient Irish culture. You can expand this idea by breaking out a book of classic Irish poetry, which includes work from some incredible writers and allows for multiple readings.

Betting, Gambling and Irish-Themed Beverages

For more adult-themed parties, you can’t really go wrong by incorporating some interactive casino games and Irish-inspired beverages. For example, why not line up to St Patrick’s Day-themed slots, including Irish Luck, Rainbow Riches, Irish Riches Megaways and the incredibly fun Leprechaun Goes Egypt.

You can enjoy other casino games too, or perhaps watch and wager on any major sporting events that may be taking place during your party. If you host your party a few days before St. Patrick’s Day in 2025, for example, you can catch the end of the Cheltenham Festival in the UK and wager your hard-earned cash. Friday 14th will see the festival conclude with the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Your Irish party also won’t be complete without incorporating some classic Irish beverages. Many of these may be based on Jameson’s popular Irish whiskey brand, including Jameson’s cold brew Irish coffee and the ‘Strawberry Basil Irish Mule’. Other popular St Pat’s drinks include the Irish Wolfhound and Bow Street Collins, but be sure to check with your guests before you finalize the menu!

Baking and Craft Idea for Young Families

If you have a particularly young family and want to focus on activities that engage children, one highly effective idea is to undertake some St Patrick’s Day crafts. You can make shamrock-shaped plates and wreaths, for example, or create green leprechaun hats as part of a more comprehensive costume. You can even create St. Pat’s-themed decorations for your house!

Baking is also an excellent option if you want to engage your children in the St Patrick’s Day celebrations. To make this fun, you can focus on crafting popular and familiar dishes but turning them a deep shade of green, starting with some delicious velvet silver dollar pancakes. Lucky Charm cookies are also incredibly popular, especially if they’re also tinged with green and showcase fun shapes.

Remember, the US is also home to more than 36 million citizens who claim Irish ancestry. So, St. Patrick’s Day offers an incredible opportunity to brush up on your own Irish-American history, while also teaching this to your young children. This can include learning about St. Patrick itself or the history of Irish-American immigration, alongside key cultural elements such as Cultural Atlas and Irish Central.

Conclusion – Celebrating St. Pat’s Day With Style

As you can see, there are plenty of St Patrick’s day celebration ideas available, regardless of your budget, circumstances and whether or not you want to travel. The key is to understand your preferences and constraints, before tailoring the perfect experience to suit you, your guests and family members.

Of course, there are also plenty of viable activities that we left off our list. Why not donate money or time to a green cause, for example, whether this is based in Ireland or focused on environmental issues? Concern Worldwide is a particularly popular cause in Ireland, as it provides shelter, food, drink and medical care to homeless individuals and others in need.

You can also make a financial contribution to ConcernGifts.org, which enables you to donate cash or an array of items to struggling communities. These range from farming goods to educational tools, depending on what you have to hand.

If you want to create a learning experience that’s also fun and incredibly active, why not learn Irish dancing? This can be done on or around St Patrick’s Day, with Irish dancing steeped in historical traditions and synonymous with the country’s heritage. You can even attend an Irish step class, with options available for both nervous beginners and more seasoned pros!