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St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD:

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD:

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Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use interest in St. Patrick’s Day to drive tourism and showcase Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, approximately 1 million people annually take part in Ireland ‘s St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworks shows.

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The History of St. Patrick's Day Video - History of St. Patrick's Day - HISTORY.com

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Distinguish St. Patrick's Day myths from reality and find out why this holiday is celebrated by millions of Irish people around the world.

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History of St. Patrick´s Day Around de Wold:

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History of St. Patrick´s Day Around de Wold:

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Introduction

St. Patrick's Day, named for Ireland's patron saint, is celebrated around the world on March 17 with parades and other festivities. The earliest parade was held in the 1760s in New York City by Irishmen serving there in the British military. During the 1800s, when Irish Catholic immigrants faced discrimination in Protestant-majority America, St. Paddy's Day parades became an opportunity to show strength in numbers. Today, cities across the U.S. have longstanding traditions of St. Patrick's Day parades, and the holiday is commemorated by people of many ethnic backgrounds. However, in Ireland, where St. Patrick's Day has been a religious feast day since the 17th century and a public holiday since 1903, it wasn't until the late 20th century that the government started sponsoring a large-scale, international festival and parade in Dublin, the capital city.

New York City and the First St. Patrick's Day Parade

The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in America took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of Irish Protestants gathered to honor their homeland's saint, a 5th century Christian missionary who died on March 17, 461, according to some claims. In the 1760s, when America still consisted of 13 British colonies, a group of Irishmen serving in the British army in New York City started the tradition of parading on St. Patrick's Day. In the 1800s, Irish fraternal and charitable societies in New York sponsored their own parades in various parts of the city before merging these individual events into a larger parade.

As Irish Catholic immigrants came to the U.S. in increasing numbers in the 19th century (from 1820 to 1860, more than a third of all immigrants who arrived on American shores were Irish), they encountered prejudice and discrimination. In the 1840s and 1850s, the Know-Nothing movement promoted a nativist, anti-Catholic agenda. (When those involved in the movement were questioned about their activities, they were supposed to say, "I know nothing," which is where the name came from.) Against this backdrop, St. Patrick's Day parades in New York and other U.S. cities became a chance for the Irish to show strength in numbers as well as pride for their cultural heritage.

Today the parade, which travels 1.5 miles up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, is billed as the world's oldest and largest St. Patrick's Day parade. Among the approximately 150,000 marchers are politicians, school children, bands, bagpipers, police, firefighters and other municipal workers. In accordance with tradition, a green line is painted along Fifth Avenue to mark the parade route, and floats and cars are banned from the procession. Since the 1850s, the parade has been led by the 69th Infantry Regiment. Formed as a militia unit composed of Irish Catholic immigrants, the 69th Infantry started heading up the procession in order to protect marchers from potential violence by those who disliked the Irish.
The biggest St. Patrick's Day parade in New York took place in 2002, with an estimated 300,000 marchers and 3 million spectators. The entire parade paused for a moment of silence to honor the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which had devastated the nation six months earlier.

In 2016, the parade was shown on live TV for the first time in Ireland and Great Britain.

St. Patrick Day Parades around the United States

In 2010, the number of U.S. residents claiming Irish ancestry was 34.7 million; it was the second-most reported heritage after German. Boston, a city with a large population of Irish Americans, has officially held a St. Paddy's Day parade since 1862. Philadelphia traces its tradition of parades to 1771. Savannah, Georgia, has been hosting a parade since the early 1800s, and today it's one of the largest in the country. Chicago has three processions-the South Side Irish Parade, the Northwest Side Irish Parade and, since 1956, a big parade downtown. The now-famous Windy City tradition of dyeing a section of the Chicago River green in honor of the holiday started in the early 1960s. Since 2004, Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been home to what's labelled the world's shortest St. Patrick's Day parade. It covers a distance of 98 feet and draws some 30,000 spectators. Additionally, there are more than a dozen communities in the U.S. named Dublin. Those that hold parades include Dublin, California, and Dublin, Ohio.

Dublin, Ireland's St. Patrick's Day Parade

A religious feast day in Ireland since the 17th century, St. Patrick's Day became a national holiday in 1903. Low-key observances were typical into the 20th century, and until the 1970s many pubs were closed for the day. (Before the pub rules changed, the Royal Dublin Dog Show, which fell on St. Patrick's Day, was a popular destination for dog lovers and non-dog lovers alike because it was the only place in the city where alcohol was sold legally).

Starting in the 1920s, there was a military parade in Dublin. In the 1950s, the parade's focus shifted to promoting Irish industries but by the 1970s it had become a more standard procession, intended to entertain. In the mid-1990s, the Irish government, in an effort to boost tourism, launched a multi-day St. Patrick's Day Festival, featuring a parade, performances and other events. The annual parade now attracts more than half a million spectators, many of whom sport shamrocks and the colors of the Irish flag, green, white and orange. (Irish eyes weren't smiling in 2001, when the parade was postponed for two months due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.)

St. Patrick Day Parades around the World

On the island of Montserrat in the British West Indies, St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday that's celebrated with a weeklong festival and parade. The island was colonized by Irish Catholics in the 17th century and early generations of European settlers were Irish. Nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, Montserrat's official passport stamp is a green shamrock.
Among the many other locations where St. Paddy's Day now is observed, the Canadian city of Montreal is the site of a large annual parade that's been held continuously since 1824. There's been a parade in Tokyo, Japan, since 1992, and one in Oslo, Norway, since 2000. Auckland, New Zealand, has had a parade and festival since 1995. People there can get a jump on the majority of the planet when it comes to celebrating St. Patrick's Day, as Auckland is 13 hours ahead of Dublin and 17 hours ahead of New York City.

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History of St Patrick's Day Parades Around the World - St. Patrick's Day - HISTORY.com

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St. Patrick's Day, named for Ireland's patron saint, is celebrated around the world on March 17 with parades and other festivities. The earliest parade was held in the 1760s in New York City by Irishmen serving there in the British military. During the 1800s, when Irish Catholic immigrants faced discrimination in Protestant-majority America, St.

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The shamrock (at one called the "Searoy" is a type of small herb with leaves made up of three leaflets, and is the common name for any of several three-leafed clovers native to Ireland. The Irish have considered shamrocks as good luck symbols since earliest times, and today many people of other nationalities have adopted that belief. It has become the national symbol of Ireland, because of the legend that St. Patrick used it to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity.

Preaching in the open air on the doctrine of the trinity, he is said to have illustrated the existence of the Three in One by plucking a shamrock from the grass growing at his feet and showing it to his congregation. It symbolizes the cross and blessed trinity.

The legend of the  shamrock is also connected with that of the banishment of the serpent tribe from Ireland by a tradition that snakes are never seen on trefoil and that it is a remedy against the stings of snakes and scorpions. The trefoil in Arabia is called shamrakh and was sacred in Iran as an emblem of the Persian triads. The trefoil, as noted above, being a sacred plant among the Druids, and three being a mystical number in the Celtic religion as well as all others, it is probable that St. Patrick must have been aware of the significance of his illustration.

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The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker,with a cocked hat and a leather apron.   According to legend, leprechauns are aloof,  unfriendly, live alone, and pass their time making shoes. They also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the location of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.  Legend has it that you can find the leprechaun and his pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

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Don’t be fooled by any holiday decorations showing lady leprechauns. In traditional Irish folk tales, there are no female leprechauns, only nattily attired little guys.

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You can’t attend a Saint Patrick’s Day event without hearing a cry of “Erin go Bragh.” What’s the phrase mean? It’s a corruption of the Irish Éirinn go Brách, which means roughly “Ireland Forever.”

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25 Little Known Facts About St. Patrick's Day:

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25 Little Known Facts About St. Patrick's Day:

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25 Little Known Facts About St. Patrick's Day

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Find seven differents between the two pictures before time runs out:

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Find seven differents between the two pictures before time runs out:

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A Kids Heart - A play and learn site with resources for children and their teachers

St. Patrick's Day Game | St. Patrick's Day Goodies | Dress Up Games

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STORY - IT Stories to read, stories to write, story starters, word games, nursery rhymes, printable coloring pages, picture prompts, and more resources for language arts.
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A Kids Heart - A play and learn site with resources for children and their teachers St. Patrick's Day Game | St. Patrick's Day Goodies | Dress Up Games Math Games and Resources akidsmath.com STORY - IT Stories to read, stories to write, story starters, word games, nursery rhymes, printable coloring pages, picture prompts, and more resources for language arts.

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Solve the puzzle by swapping the rows and the columns of the scrambled picture:

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Solve the puzzle by swapping the rows and the columns of the scrambled picture:

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Solve the puzzle by swapping the rows and the columns of the scrambled St. Patrick's Day picture

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Remove the shamrocks by clicking on groups of 3 or more of the same color. Game is over if a shamrock reaches the top of the ply area:

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Remove the shamrocks by clicking on groups of 3 or more of the same color. Game is over if a shamrock reaches the top of the ply area:

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According to Irish legend, Saint Patrick wasn’t originally called Patrick. His birth name was Maewyn Succat, but he changed his name to Patricius after becoming a priest.

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All of the Saint Patrick’s Day revelry around the globe is great news for brewers. A 2012 estimate pegged the total amount spent on beer for Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations at $245 million. And that’s before tips to pubs’ bartenders.

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Cold Weather Helped Saint Patrick’s Legend:

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Cold Weather Helped Saint Patrick’s Legend:

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In Irish lore, Saint Patrick gets credit for driving all the snakes out of Ireland. Modern scientists suggest that the job might not have been too hard – according to the fossil record, Ireland has never been home to any snakes. Through the Ice Age, Ireland was too cold to host any reptiles, and the surrounding seas have staved off serpentine invaders ever since. Modern scholars think the “snakes” Saint Patrick drove away were likely metaphorical.

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New York may have more manpower, but Chicago has a spectacle all its own. The city has been celebrating Saint Patrick by dumping green dye into the Chicago River since 1962. It takes 40 tons of dye to get the river to a suitably festive shade!

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Saint Patrick himself would have to deal with pinching on his feast day. His color was “Saint Patrick’s blue,” a light shade. The color green only became associated with the big day after it was linked to the Irish independence movement in the late 18th century.

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Count your lucky charms because you've just stumbled across a pot of gold! These St. Patrick's day games for kids make for a heap of fun. Use them at home or for a holiday classroom party.

St Patricks Day Games

1. Shamrock Bounce
Instructions

1. Paint an old tennis ball green.

2. Set five pie tins on the floor, numbered 1-5.

3. Give each child five bounces to land in the pie tins.

4. Add up the total numbers to see who wins.

2. Shamrock and Straw Table Game
Instructions

1. Divide groups into equal teams and sit them at a table or desks that have been pushed together.

2. Pass out a drinking straw to each child.

3. Place 2-inch pre-made green tissue-paper shamrocks -in front of the first player of each team.

4. Have children clasp their hands behind their backs.

5. At "Go!" the first player picks up the shamrock by inhaling it onto the straw.

6. That player keeps the shamrock in the straw until he/she places/drops it down in front of the next player's area.

7. If the shamrock falls off, it must be sucked up again-The game continues until each team player has had a turn.

8. (Remember...no hands!)

3. Top of the Mornin!
Instructions

1. Children stand in a circle around a blind-folded child-who is the "leprechaun".

2. The leprechaun holds a paper-towel tube (that can be previously covered in green construction paper) and SLOWY turns.

3. The tube is in a stretched out arm pointing to the circle of children... Play Irish music and when the music stops the leprechaun stops.

4. The child standing opposite the pointed tube goes to the leprechaun and says, "A Top of the morning to you," INTO the TUBE. (Have children change their voices if they are able to.)

5. The leprechaun has 3 chances to guess who the voice belongs to.

6. If the leprechaun is correct-the child saying "Top of the Mornin" is the new leprechaun.

4. St. Patrick's Day Relay Race

Materials:
✓ Scissors
✓ Green construction paper
Instructions

1. Cut out a large number of SHAMROCKS; write a different instruction on each one for a relay race -

2. Such as: skip, crawl, crab walk, hop, walk backward, etc.

3. Duplicate the words for the number of Teams you will have to play. (Example: Three teams equal three sets of instruction words.

4. Divide the children into groups (if not even, have one child go twice)

5. Put the SHAMROCKS at the end of the room in a pile for each team.

6. On go, the first player on each team runs up to the pile and takes a SHAMROCK. They do what the Shamrock shape instructs.

7. When the first players get back- the next players run to the shamrocks-and play continues...Return the shamrocks to the bottom of the pile until ALL have had a turn.

Tip: Laminate the shamrocks for future St. Paddy's Days.

( This game can also be adapted to other themes such as Valentine's Day- with hearts instead of shamrocks.

5. Themed Banner Race Word Race

Challenge friends to a race of the minds.
Instructions

1. Prepare two banners (or as many as you need for each team) that say whatever you want them to say. (Example: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Kiss Me I'm Irish! Luck of the Leprechaun, etc. (The words can be themed to any holiday!)

2. Prepare a set of letters for the same words cut out in two different colors (for two teams) hidden randomly around the area.

3. Divide the group into teams with captains-the captains sit and wait for their teammates to bring the letters for their banner. If a student is on the "gold" team and sees a letter for the "green" team he/she just leaves it alone. The first team to cover their banner letters wins.

6. Irish Hot Potato

A traditional game of hot potato using a real potato.

Materials:
✓ Potato
Instructions

1. Play a CD of Irish music while the kids pass the potato around the circle.

2. The player holding the potato when the music stops will be in charge of the CD player for the next round.

7. Pot of Gold Drama Game
Instructions

1. You say, "If I found a pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow, I'd buy this..."

2. Then you show by acting out what you would buy.

3. The others try to guess what you bought, and the first one to guess becomes the new actor.

8. St. Patrick's Day Hopscotch
Instructions

1. For a St. Patrick's Day Party draw a leprechaun in the start box.

2. A pot of gold in the end box...

3. A rainbow from one end to the other

4. Have children toss a gold coin on the course to play.

9. Hurley

Hurley is an old game that can be traced back to ancient Rome and has been played throughout Great Britain for hundreds of years. However, Hurley is popular in Ireland, and it is believed to be the ancient ancestor of modern football.

10 or more players

Ages 8 and up

Indoors or outdoors

Instructions

1. Players form two equal teams, each taking one half of a gymnasium or a large field.

2. One team begins with a medium-sized ball (eg: football), with the object of moving the ball over the opposing team's End, which is simply the rear boundary of that team's half.

3. The defending team may tag an approachable player, whereupon that player must stop and immediately pass the ball, or give the ball up.

4. The ball may be passed or run with, but it may not be kicked and no rough play should be allowed.

5. The same game may be played indoors, but with a goal, into which the ball may be thrown, and defended by a goalie. No goalie is required for the outdoors version.

Source: Thunder Bay Multicultural Association.

10. Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Where's Your Shamrock?

Materials:
✓ Green construction paper
✓ Scissors
Instructions

1. One child, who is the leprechaun, sits in the middle of the circle with their eyes closed.

2. One of the children in the circle hides a paper shamrock shape behind their back - the group together says: "Leprechaun, Leprechaun where's your shamrock? Somebody has it in their Pocket! Guess who? Maybe you... Maybe a monkey from the zoo. Come on Leprechaun where's your shamrock?"

3. The Leprechaun opens his/her eyes and has three guesses to who is holding the shamrock behind their back.

4. Whether a right or wrong guess...the child with the shamrock is the next leprechaun.

11. Find the Four Leaf Clover

✓ Green construction paper
✓ Scissors
Instructions

1. Prepare pictures or cutouts of green clovers (have one for each child.)

2. All Clover's should have 3 leaves except one, which would be a 4-leaf clover.

3. Children take turns passing around the clovers to music.

4. When the music stops, the child who has the 4-leaf clover gets a special treat (sticker, chocolate gold coin, etc.)

5. Tell children that the person with the 4-leaf clover is lucky - that is why they get the special treat.

6. Continue on until ALL KIDS have gotten the 4-leaf clover and special treat. (Or pass out a treat to those who did not receive one in the game)

12. St. Patrick's Day Bingo

Last update on 2021-02-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Played like regular bingo but with St Patrick's Day-themed bingo cards. Buy some on Amazon or print some off.

13. Luck O' The Dice Family Card and Dice Game

Last update on 2021-02-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This fun St Patricks Day game can be played at the classroom party or family game night.

Number of Players: 2 to 4

Ages: 7+
The Object of the Game
Be the player that ends up with the highest coin value at the end of the game. Through a combination of dice rolling, the draw of the cards, and luck, is how you will obtain coins. Check out this detailed explanation of how to play Luck O' The Dice.

Also, see the three LEPRECHAUN GROWING GRASS ideas in the St. Patrick's Day Arts and Crafts section!

14. Pot O' Gold Coin Toss

This is one of the kid's favorite St Patrick's Day party games and it makes a great throwing game too.
Instructions

1. Cut out some green shamrocks from the construction paper. You can place these at different distances to make them have different point values. The further away, the higher the points. 3 to 4 shamrock locations should do.

2. Place the cauldron in its location. I recommend placing it where it's not next to something that could get dinged up from throwing the coins. The center of an empty room or gym would do.

3. Tape the shamrocks to the ground at the desired distance. Make one relatively easy and make one very challenging for the age level.

4. Give each child equal number of coins.

5. Let the child pick what shamrock they want to throw from. If they want to try throwing from a lot of different locations or all from the same one, that's ok.

6. Track each child's score.

7. After all the children have completed their turn, see who has the most points and they are the winner of the coin toss.

The prize could be some chocolate gold coins. Yum!

What kid doesn't love a good scavenger hunt? The easiest way to do this is to cut out some shamrock shapes or buy some premade shamrock cutouts. Once you have the shamrocks, write riddles or clues on them. The clues will lead them to their next treasure. Gold chocolate coins work great for this. Each clue could lead them to a single chocolate gold coin and then the final clue could leam them to a large basket or "pot of gold." Fill the pot with fun St. Patrick's Day treats and gifts.
In Summary
Thanks for checking out our St. Patrick's Day games. We hope this makes your classroom celebration a fun and memorable day for the kids.

Complete Menu for 'St. Patty Day' Activities

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15 Fun St Patrick's Day Games for Kids - Kid Activities

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here. Count your lucky charms because you've just stumbled across a pot of gold!

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We are always so inspired by the creativity of our fellow bloggers! We have seen some amazing St Patrick's day activities for kids for kids over the last month that have us pining away for the warm, muddy days of spring! One of the surest signs of the season? The arrival of St. Patrick's Day!! We thought it would be fun to do a quick round-up of great St. Patrick's Day activities for kids that could surely be carried over into our therapy sessions for some mean (and green!) motor development!

made this green playdough! Not only is it an obvious choice for fine motor fun, but they used green lemon-lime Kool-Aid making this quite a sensory experience as well. LOVE IT!!

Michelle at has another creative fine motor activity. These shamrocks would be so pretty hanging up as a decoration and would have your kiddos cutting, folding and gluing all afternoon!

We found this sweet blog - it may be the prettiest blog I have seen lately - on Pinterest. has a free printable and very cute idea for a rainbow craft for even the littlest of kids.

hit the gross motor mark with these racing leprechauns! Can you believe how creative this is?? I am totally using this one at school...the best part, Claire and Pam can get their fine motor goals addressed by making the leprechauns and then I can hit the bilateral coordination, balance and motor planning by having the kiddos blast them across the room. BRILLIANT, Tammy!!

has a St. Patrick's Day yoga series that they describe as being inspired by the "flora and fauna of Ireland"! What a fantastic way to get some whole body movement in!

has a some great sensory ideas for the holiday that celebrates the green! Kiddos can search green playdough for beads, search for gold coins in a sensory bin, and paper punch a shamrock using their ! Love it!

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Lauren Drobnjak is co-author of The Inspired Treehouse blog and a pediatric physical therapist who currently practices in the educational environment. She has been a physical therapist for 18 years, with 17 of those years specifically in pediatrics. Her drive to make a difference in the lives of kids has led her entrepreneurial spirit in the direction of creating opportunities for play-based wellness and child development. She is a busy mama of 3 who thrives on chaos. To come down from the stress, Lauren enjoys exercising like she's still 20, yoga, chocolate, a great book, browsing Pinterest, and anything crafty!

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THERAPIST APPROVED ST PATRICK'S DAY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

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We are always so inspired by the creativity of our fellow bloggers! We have seen some amazing St Patrick's day activities for kids for kids over the last month that have us pining away for the warm, muddy days of spring! One of the surest signs of the season?

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7 Ways to celebrate St. Patrick´s Day in MADRID:

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7 Ways to celebrate St. Patrick´s Day in MADRID:

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Originally St Patrick's was a saint's day like any other for the puritanical Spanish, but for years now the 17th of March has meant partying until the cock crowd. Any true Irishman would feel right at home.

This year is a lucky one because the holy day falls on a Friday, meaning that there will be celebrations from Thursday through Saturday (trust Madrid to spread out the festivities). We have put together a list of our favourites so you can fill up your social calendar and only think in green from weekstart to weekend. Let's start with these 7 ways to celebrate the shamrock out of St Patrick's Day.

1. Get out n'party!

St Patrick's in Madrid = party. Here are some of our favourites:

1. More rock than the Blarney Stone at Gruta 77

Gruta 77 will be putting on two great concerts in honor of the patron saint of Ireland. For more information check out the event in our MadGuide.

2.The Brazilian Avenue that's taken an Irish turn

The place to be on on St Paddy's: it throwing 2 almost back to back free concerts! First hit the Irish Rover on Thursday the 16th to get your Guinness on at one of the biggest Irish pubs in Europe. Then come back for a 2nd (or 14th) round the following day at Moby, for a club that'll keep you moving until you either hit your bed, or the floor. Check out the event in our MadGuide.

3.Make it official: Celebrate St Patrick's Day at the Irish Embassy

No they're not trying to extradite you. Short of hopping on a plane to Dublin, St Patrick's at the embassy he represents is without a doubt the next best thing. Every national holiday has its more official celebration and the boys at the emerald bureau haven't done half bad. Join them at the Parque Deportivo Puerta del Hierro all day on Saturday the 18th for theatre, mouth watering nosh, and even Gaelic football. More details in our MadGuide.

2.Knock Back a Guinness in a Real Irish Pub

Madrid has so many Irish pubs that sometimes we loose ourselves and think we're in Dublin, and even more so when it rains! All of these wood-panelled wonders are inviting, rowdy when the taps start flowing, and by far the best bars to be when St Patrick's rolls around. Go to whichever you go to, don't get stuck on the cocktail menu, order yourself a tall, dark, stout from the tap, kickback, and dream of Galway. Need any recommendations?

3. Get Together for a Game of Gaelic Football

One of the activities the Irish Embassy in Madrid has on the cards this holiday season are various games of Gaelic football, so you have no excuse not go see a game or even try for yourself. And if that stirs up your inner Celtic warrior, you should know that Madrid boasts the only Gaelic Football club in the state: the Madrid Harps.

4. Break Out Your Inner Irish Dancer

Well it wouldn't be a party without dancing. Much less an Irish one! Feel the drum of that unmistakable Irish rhythm with, Irish Treble. They'll be playing on the 17th at 17:00 at O'Neills and at 23:00 in the Clover Tavern. And if you can't make those too they'll also be taking to the stage on Saturday the 18th at the at Irish Embassy. And if that leaves you itching to move, sign up to one one of their dance classes and workshops!

5. Popcorn, Blanket, Movie

Bish, bash, bosh. After number 7 on this list it's a close second for your best Paddy's day recipe. For those of you that don't feel like drinking, running, or river dancing: you can still vegetate on the sofa with a movie and get festive! A fire of our favourite emerald flavoured cinema classics include The Commitments, about a dubliner soul group and their journey to success; the Philemina, for the heartwarming story of a women's journey to find her lost son.

6. Channel Your Inner Enya with Some Karaoke

For the Braveheart in you (and yes we know that's Scotland but come on, there are only so many references to Ireland we can think of!). It's no national secret that Ireland has produced more than its fair share of chart topping artists. U2, The Corrs. The Cranberries, The Dubliners, The Script, and Kodaline, being just a few. So head over to any one of the karaoke bars in Madrid, and belt out your all time favourites. Just remember that with these particular song choices you have some very big shoes to fill.

7. Cook Up the Gaelic Storm

We know more than anyone that the story of a country starts at the dinner table. So it's time to get those oven gloves on, dust off that apron and get to work on some of some of these mean green Irish dishes:

Whatever you decide is the best way for you to celebrate your St Patrick's Day, let us know! And don't forget to snap a memory outside some of Madrid's most famous monuments (Eg the Palacio de Cibeles) which will all be lit up in green for the occasion!

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7 ways to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Madrid - Mad4Madrid

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Originally St Patrick's was a saint's day like any other for the puritanical Spanish, but for years now the 17th of March has meant partying until the cock crowd. Any true Irishman would feel right at home.

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40 Green Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick´s Day:

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40 Green Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick´s Day:

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Kids love this sweet, wiggly gelatin and whipped topping dessert. Use different flavors of gelatin to make color versions that are as wild as your imagination. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen

For a hearty pie with a lovely Italian flavor, try this recipe. Spinach has never tasted so good! -Nancy Reichert, Thomasville, Georgia

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40 Green Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

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Kids love this sweet, wiggly gelatin and whipped topping dessert. Use different flavors of gelatin to make color versions that are as wild as your imagination. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen For a hearty pie with a lovely Italian flavor, try this recipe. Spinach has never tasted so good!

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Play free online St. Patrick's Day games online with our huge collection fun and festive games. Play games like Lucky's Tic Tac Toe, Leprechaun Hunt, St. Patrick's Gold, and Lucky Clover.