1. Go to a parade!
Check out your local news to see when the St. Patrick’s Day parades will be popping up around your area. Parades are a great way to celebrate the holiday with others and to see what this holiday means to someone else. A large community always makes an activity more fun, so deck yourself out in green, join the crowd, and get your celebration on!
2. Run or walk a St. Patrick’s Day Race!
While not the most appealing option to some, participating in a walk/run race during the holidays is a fun way to get outside and be active, all while living in the spirit of celebration. Gather a group of family and friends to join you for a little holiday stress relief. Even if running isn’t your thing, the achievement of finishing a race is a great feeling, and it’s a surefire way to amp up the adrenaline to keep the celebration going! I personally am participating in the Bay City St. Patrick’s Day Race, but do some research and you’d be surprised to how many races there are in Michigan. If you still don’t want to sacrifice having a nice cold one, check out this race here in Flint to get your fix and do a race.
3. Make a St. Patrick’s Day themed dessert!
If you want to enjoy a chill night in but still want to celebrate, themed desserts are always a good way to go. With the help of Pinterest, the options are endless. Do some digging on the internet, and I know you can find some fun, celebratory treats like these shamrock pretzels or some St. Patrick’s Day puppy chow that are guaranteed to keep the party going.
4. Try an Irish Restaurant
While nothing can compare to an authentic, Irish restaurant in the middle of Galway, Ireland, it still wouldn’t hurt to try out some Irish restaurants here around Ann Arbor. This is a great way to get a sense of the culture behind St. Patrick’s Day while not shelling out on a plane ticket across the Atlantic Ocean. Stop in at Ann Arbor’s own Conor O’Neill’s on Main Street for a taste. Also, check out Livonia’s Claddagh!
5. Learn more about the holiday!
This probably wasn’t your first choice to celebrate (running a race might’ve even been more preferential than this), but learning about the history of a holiday is never a bad thing. We often get caught up in the celebration and forget what we’re actually celebrating. So if you’re bored on St. Patrick’s Day, take a dive into the internet and learn about its history. You might be surprised to find out what the holiday is actually about and why we celebrate it today.
However you decide to celebrate, just make sure to have fun and spend it with people you care about. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Pictures courtesy of Cyndi O’Connor