We celebrate a lot of holidays throughout the year; Halloween (or Halloweekend, depending on your demographic) gives us an opportunity to let our crazy out, Valentines day really lets us feel the love and you can literally hear freedom ringing on Independence Day. We celebrate lots of important holidays each year, but there’s one that is an absolute whale of a time for everyone. Saint Patrick’s Day is that red-headed, green clad, once a year visitor that knows how to party like no one else! Here are 17 reasons why the 17th of March is low-key (or high-key) your favorite day of the year!
1. Saint Patrick himself
It's important to understand why we're celebrating the patron saint of Ireland before we go about our shenanigans. Saint Patrick was a pretty cool dude, actually. He was a slave for his entire adolescence, escaped slavery and went on to help people learn about Christianity. He used the shamrock to describe the holy trinity to the people of Britain. Legend has it that he chased all the snakes out of Ireland. If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is.
2. Any time of day is an appropriate time of day to start drinking
Your breakfast might consist of some soda bread and Irish coffee; or perhaps you’ll be drinking Guinness all day long; or you could start with a nice Irish whiskey! Whatever you choose, just remember that it’s never too early and never too late to celebrate!
3. In the college world, it’s a week long celebration that rivals Halloweekend
College kids go for days when it comes to St. Paddy’s Day. The Irish are famous for their skills in beer-drinking, and university students turned this Irish holiday into a sort of Irish olympics... They get loud and rowdy, and throw some of the greatest parties of the year!
4. It’s every bartender’s favorite holiday. Don’t even try to deny it.
Seriously. You hit the jack pot if you’re serving up alcohol today.
5. Three words: meat and potatoes
Specifically corned beef. While corned beef and cabbage isn’t actually a traditional Irish meal, it is something that every Irish-American family does, and it’s hella tasty.
6. Three more words: Irish soda bread
This traditional loaf is everything. Literally everything. It’s homey and wonderful, and makes the perfect Saint Patrick’s Day breakfast when toasted with butter (unless you’re pouring Guinness over Lucky Charms… but I think I’ll stick with the soda bread).
7. All green everything
Some people view this as a downside to St. Patrick’s Day. My advice to those people is this: Don’t fight it. The sooner you learn to accept the green, the sooner you realize that it’s actually a fantastic color and you should be proud to wear it! Besides, everything is more fun when it’s more colorful. People have been going nuts recently for rainbow colored bagels, but the Irish have been doing oddly colored food for years! Green pancakes, green bagels, green ice cream, and most importantly, green beer.
8. Shenanigans
While shenanigans are technically acts of mischief, occasionally it is synonymous to bullsh*t. On St. Paddy’s Day, the word is applied to the rowdy atmosphere of the holiday. There’s loud Irish music, lots of fun to be had, and many bad attempts at Irish dancing (yes, there is a technique to it; yes, I did take lessons as a child; no, I don’t care that you’re doing it all wrong, I just like that you’re having fun). On St. Paddy’s Day, this word is more about dancing a jig while downing a pint than about pranks or mischief; it’s all about having fun!
9. Shamrock shakes
I’ll be honest. I don’t know why everyone loves shamrock shakes so much, but for some reason we do, and they fill us all with Irish pride (even if you’re not Irish. Don’t deny it).
10. Redheads and freckle-faces rule the world for a day
If you have red hair, you spend the rest of the year getting picked on because you have no soul (this is true: it was proven as a fact by the International Society of Conspiracy Theorists). You probably heard that every freckle a redhead has symbolizes a soul that they stole. Well, fear not redheads and freckle-faces-- today is your day! Being a redhead on Saint Patrick’s Day is like winning the genetic lottery. You’ll get free drinks everywhere you go and everyone wants to be your best friend. So, revel on your day! Saint Patrick’s day? More like Ginger Pride Day!
11. Bad puns about leprechauns and pots of gold are not only acceptable... they are encouraged!
Why can't you borrow money from a leprechaun? Because they're always a little short. Why don't you iron four leaf clovers? Because you don't want to press your luck. How do you blind an Irish woman? You put a bottle of scotch in front of her. All of these jokes are terrible and all of them will be a hit on St. Paddy’s Day.
12. PARADES
Everyone loves a good parade and the Irish go HARD. Parade routes look more like green and orange raves. The parade is where the party starts on St. Paddy’s Day, and is not something to be missed!
13. The more ridiculous you look, the more high-fives you will receive and the more fun you will have
It’s like New Year’s Eve, but better. There are plenty of tacky, plastic costume pieces and mardi gras beads, but no one is worried about “dressing up” for a party in cute outfits and fancy heels. When you dress up for Saint Patrick’s Day, you wear the most ridiculous outfit you can put together. Dress like a leprechaun! Wear an Irish flag as a cape! Paint your face with shamrocks and glitter! Nothing is too extreme.
14. Everyone gets to be Irish for the day
Whether you were born and raised in Ireland, you’re 50 percent Irish, or you’re not Irish at all, you’re Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join in the celebration!
15. Leprechauns
Leprechauns are mythical fairies that have copious amounts of money and like to get into mischief. They’re known for being tricksters, but seeing one on Saint Patrick’s Day is supposed to be good luck-- so keep your eyes peeled!
16. The luck of the Irish
Speaking of luck, the Irish have plenty of that. There’s a reason they call it the luck of the Irish! And because everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s day, everyone gets a bit of that luck! Once you have that Irish magic, there's no telling how lucky you’ll get! ;)
17. So “kiss me, I’m Irish!”
Only the Irish could take such a mundane reason for kissing someone and turn it into a worldwide phenomenon. “Kiss me, I’m Irish,” is the go to phrase for St. Paddy’s Day, and so far, “I’m Irish,” seems to work as a good excuse for the command “kiss me." Who knows... Maybe that’s why the Irish are so lucky!
