St Patricks Day Party Ideas
Always Celebrated March 17th

Over the years, many fantastic stories have been told about St Patrick, including the one about him banishing all snakes from Ireland, but he is most famous for introducing Ireland to Christianity.

Many dispute this claim believing that Christianity was alive in Ireland well before he came along. Whether he introduced the religion to the country or merely perpetuated it, he is celebrated for having a very important role in spreading Christianity in Ireland.

It is known that Saint Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who attacked his family's estate.

They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time while working as a shepherd, he became lonely and afraid so he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian.

According to his writing, God told him it was time to leave Ireland so he eventually found a way to escape. He walked over 200 miles to the Irish coast and made his way back to Britain.

Not long after his escape, he claims that an angel in a dream told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years.

After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland to begin his mission of converting the Irish to Christianity.

What Day is St Patricks Day?

Most scholars believe that Saint Patrick died on March 17th around the year 465 AD. The date of his birth is not certain so he is celebrated on the date of his death, March 17th.

Let the Celebrations Begin!

Irish people around the world celebrate St Patrick in pretty much the same way. Good Irish food, drinks galore, green outfits and lots of fun with family and friends. It is the perfect holiday for hosting theme parties.

If you are going to have a St Patricks Day party at home, check out my recommendations below.

Invitations

First of all, you need some really great invitations for this special party. There are so many to choose from, but here are a couple of my favorite sources:

• Printed Invitations. If you would like to send something
  through the mail, check out these St Patricks Day invitations from VistaPrints.com. Currently they are offering 25% to 75% OFF All Products at VistaPrint.. Search under "Holidays" for St Patricks Day select items.



• Evite. I haven't used Evite to send invitations but I have received an invitation from a friend who did. It's pretty cool. You can design your invitation, send them to whoever you want in your email address book and then Evite keeps track of the RSVPs for you. People can make comments back to you like, "Sorry I can't be there. Don't have too much fun without me." Click here to check out the Evite website.

Decorations

It's fun to decorate the house because you can get so many fun products. I found some of the best St. Patrick's Day party supplies at BuyCostumes.com. They have such a wide selection of party goods including costumes, confetti, stickers, wigs, paper goods and banners.

Party Attire

You can't host or go to a St. Patrick's Day party without having some appropriate attire. You could go with a simple St Patricks Day t-shirt but why not check out these shirts from CafePress.com?

I've spent a lot of time perusing their merchandise and laughing hysterically. You will definitely find some very funny St. Patrick's Day shirts here.

For funny shoes, hats, wigs and necklaces, check out BuyCostumes.com.

Also, have you heard about ShopIrish.com? For Irish Shopping - The Premier web site for Irish Gifts, Jewelry and other Items.

Serveware

When buying serveware for your St Patricks Day party recipes, like paper plates and napkins, there are a lot of different patterns you can buy. I like to buy St. Patrick's Day Party Supplies from Amazon because they are reasonably priced and will be at your front door in no time.

Find More Serveware at BuyCostumes.com.

Don't forget to visit ShopIrish.com, for Irish Shopping - The Premier web site for Irish Gifts, Jewelry and Other Items.

Good Food

I selected the recipes below either because they are made with traditional Irish ingredients or because they are green. You are sure to find at least a couple that your guests will love.

Many of these St Patricks Day party recipes are some of my favorites.

Hot Appetizers

Soups, Salads and Sides

Easy Entrees

Party Desserts

Special Cocktails

Click here for more easy party recipes.

I hope you learned something about St Patrick that you did not already know and that I have given you some ideas to think about when planning your next St. Patrick's Day party.