You don’t have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. (I mean, I can’t be any more Italian, really.) People of all cultures will be donning their drinking shoes to enjoy the live Irish music, have some beer with friends, wear green and maybe find a leprechaun to haggle with. Fine by me.

If you don’t want to join the massive St Patrick’s pub crawl and wait too long for a drink at a noisy bar … some people LOVE this, but if you aren’t one of them … consider scaling it back a bit and having your own party. That, or make it a great way to “pre-game” before you hit the town, or have it the day before and watch the Celtics beat the 76ers.

Go green
First stop, the party store or a place like Walmart or Target to get all the green hats, beads, boas, glasses, pins, etc., that you could ever need. Make a run and get into the spirit of things. Go all out and dress like a beer wench, we won’t judge! One year, I even saw someone in a head-to-toe green Lycra suit. Whatever makes you feel good.

Drink
Now that you have all the green trinkets you need, get yourself to a liquor store. Beer is the name of the game, and you can go the cheaper route of getting some Coors Light and some green food coloring to really honor the tradition of green beer drinkers everywhere, or you can mix it up and get some Guinness, Magner’s Cider, Sam Red or whatever else goes with the day. I happen to like Harpoon Celtic Ale. Don’t forget to pick up some Bailey’s while you’re there. Green Jell-O shots are also a great treat. If you want a cocktail option, mix up some vodka, milk or cream, crème de menthe and white chocolate liquor.

Eats
You can’t drink without eating, so get your belly full beforehand. The menu should be Irish-inspired. Corned Beef, Swiss and Mustard mini-sandwiches are a must, but here are some other recipes that are easy and festive and will make your friends wonder when you got so clever.

Irish Fruit Dip: Cool Whip, Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix. That’s it, mix it up and serve with skewered green grapes, kiwi and honeydew melon.

Green Pinwheels: Get some spinach wraps. Mix cream cheese, diced red pepper, diced cucumbers and crumbled potato chips. Spread this on the wraps and top with ham. Then roll and slice.

Guinness Sausages: OK, so this will sound a little strange, but it’s awesome, so just trust. Slice up some sweet Italian sausages and simmer in oil with some onions and garlic. When they are cooked, take the sausages out and set them aside. To the pan, add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir it in well, then add a bottle of Guinness to the pan with 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, then add the sausage back in. Done. Delicious.

Krispie Treats: Who doesn’t love Rice Krispie treats? Try making some of these with green food coloring (a little goes a long way) or switch it up and use Lucky Charms instead. You’ll need 6 cups cereal, 3 tablespoons butter and one bag of marshmallows. Heat the butter and marshmallows in a pan until ooey-gooey, add cereal and mix; put in a pan and cut when set. Easy.

Entertainment
Not that you really need it ~ I mean, a party is entertainment all in itself ~ but you might consider hiring a live musician (they always need gigs!) to play some festive music or get a CD with some Irish tunes to get people feeling like they are in the rolling hills. Or have some movies on the TV that go with the day, like The Fighter, Boondock Saints, Leprechaun, Gangs of New York … you get the idea.

There are $2 scratch tickets with shamrocks on them, too. Pass these out as party favors; maybe fortune will shine on someone. You know those cheap chocolate coins in gold wrappers that you can get everywhere? Yeah, we know they are gross-tasting, but that’s not the point. Scatter them around the house. You may consider asking people to hunt for them, with a prize to whoever can find the most. If not, they work as décor.

However you choose to celebrate, drink responsibly, don’t drive while hammered, and we hope you get lucky.

By Jennifer Russo