St Patrick's Day ideas for a party worth turning up to

St Patrick's Day is 17 March, and in the UK it ranges from a full parade in Birmingham or London to one green jumper and a Guinness after work. Either counts.

What follows is the party side of it - food, drink, music and games - plus the blessings people actually write in a card, which are the oldest and best part of the day.

We make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK, so everything below is a straight guide to the day - plus the card that goes with it.

Party plans, big and small

• At home: green bunting, a playlist, a pot of stew and whoever turns up. It doesn't need more than that.
• In the pub: book the table, because every decent pub is full by seven on the 17th.
• Parade day: London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool all run one - check the date, as several fall on the nearest Sunday.
• At work: a bake-off with green icing, or a quiz round on Irish music and geography at lunch.
• For kids: a leprechaun hunt with gold coins, shamrock crafts and a green milkshake.
• Quiet version: an Irish film, soda bread and an early night. Nobody has to drink to mark the day.

Food and drink that isn't just green beer

• Beef and Guinness stew, made the day before, is the one dish that feeds a crowd with no last-minute work.
• Soda bread takes under an hour and no proving, which makes it the easiest impressive thing on the table.
• Colcannon or champ alongside - mashed potato with cabbage or spring onion, and far more butter than seems sensible.
• Irish coffee for the end of the night, and a decent non-alcoholic version with cream for anyone driving.
• A whiskey or stout tasting with three small glasses each beats a night of pints and everyone remembers it.
• For pudding, Baileys cheesecake or a chocolate Guinness cake. Both can be made the day before. Shop this card

Music, games and decoration

• Build the playlist around the singalongs - The Pogues, The Dubliners, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries.
• A round of Irish geography in the quiz catches everyone out and takes five minutes to write.
• Green, white and gold bunting reads as Irish; green everything reads as a supermarket aisle.
• Shamrock, not four-leaf clover - the shamrock is the three-leaf one St Patrick used, and people notice.
• Set a wooden spoon and a table for anyone who plays anything. A single fiddle changes the whole evening.

Irish blessings for the card

• May the road rise up to meet you. Happy St Patrick's Day.
• Wishing you luck, laughter and a decent pint. Happy St Patrick's Day.
• May your troubles be few and your friends be many.
• Sláinte - here's to you on St Patrick's Day.
• May you be at the gates of heaven an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Shop St Patrick's Day cards

Party bits for the table

Bunting, banners and decorations for the 17th.

How to write it so it lands

• Make the stew the day before - it tastes better and it frees up the 17th completely.
• Book the pub table in February. Walk-ins on the night rarely work.
• Put out water and something non-alcoholic that looks like a proper drink, not squash in a tumbler.
• Learn one blessing by heart. It's a better toast than anything you'll improvise.

Where to shop next

• Easter ideas
• Valentine's Day ideas
• St Patrick's Day card messages
• What is St Patrick's Day?
• Party supplies
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

When is St Patrick's Day?

17 March every year. It's a public holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland, but a normal working day in England, Scotland and Wales - most UK parades move to the nearest Sunday.

What do you eat on St Patrick's Day?

Beef and Guinness stew, soda bread, colcannon or champ, and bacon and cabbage. Corned beef and cabbage is more American than Irish, though nobody will object.

Is it shamrock or a four-leaf clover?

Shamrock. It has three leaves and is the one linked to St Patrick. The four-leaf clover is a separate luck symbol entirely.

Do people send St Patrick's Day cards?

Yes, mostly to Irish family and friends, often with a traditional blessing written inside rather than a joke.