Here's a few tips to get you in the groove for the big day.
Mark out Sunday, March 17 on your calendar with a green highlighter: St Patrick’s Day is almost upon us. When it comes to experiencing Ireland’s national day of celebration, the options can be overwhelming.
Whether you’re of Irish descent, Irish at heart or just have an Irish taste in beverages, here are a few ideas to help guide you through this holiday.
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1. St Patrick’s Day at work
Being that St Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, many people will be confined to their office or other weekday responsibilities. There’s no excuse not to celebrate wherever you can – whatever your work dress code, there’s always room for a little green.
Why not make your co-workers green with envy by baking some Irish sweets – whisky truffles or soda bread pudding anyone? If you’re not handy in the kitchen you can organise knock offs at your local with a few pints of the black stuff, or, better yet, try bunking off work for the day.
2. Get down to the pub
There’s no better way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than by heading down to the pub and bending the elbow. Melbourne is decorated with Irish pubs from top to bottom – think The Drunken Poet, The Quiet Man Irish Pub, The Last Jar, Bridie O’Reilly’s – the list is endless.
There’s no better accompaniment to a pint of Guinness than a live band and you can be rest assured your local will be putting on a full slate of bands to celebrate the occasion.
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3. Spud, glorious spud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood, potatoes are the perfect staple for celebrating St Patrick’s Day. Not only will eating potatoes put you in good stead for a day of drinking, but you can do just about anything with a potato.
Potatoes are quintessential to the Irish cuisine and they also make for great snacks – crisps, chips, colcannon or champ, all best served alongside Irish folk music and shared with new friends and old.
4. Follow Saint Patrick’s legacy
In Irish mythology, it’s said that Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, drove all the snakes out of the country. You might consider doing something similar by driving unfavourable things out of your own life.
If your New Year’s resolution hasn’t held up, you could rebrand it as a Paddy’s Day resolution. Otherwise, you could preemptively drive away your post-Paddy’s Day hangover – maybe consider buying some green electrolyte replacements for the next day?
5. Cook a traditional Irish dinner
If you’ve spent the day on the tear getting fluthered, chances are you’ll need a good feed at the end of the day. You have probably already tried many Irish classics such as Irish stew, shepherd’s pie and corned beef.
Two dishes you might not know about are Boxty and Coddle, which are both Irish comfort food. Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake, similar to a hash brown. Coddle is a traditional Irish potato and sausage stew, cooked in the oven on a low temperature. Coddle is a great idea for a post-drinking meal because it can be prepared before time and slow-cooked all day.
Whether you’re celebrating the Irish or just joining in the fun, make the most of St Patrick’s Day on March 17.
