Instructions

• : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive.
• Step 1: Visit a museum Visit a museum. You can go to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to honor the first president of Irish heritage.
• Step 2: Watch the parade Watch the parade. On the Sunday before the holiday, Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place in South Boston.
• TIP: Don’t stop at one parade! There are several in the Boston area in the week leading up to and following March 17. Saintpatricksdayparade.com has a listing of all the parades going on in Boston.
• Step 3: Go dancing Go dancing at The Beehive. This bar puts on an annual celebration of traditional Irish music and dancing — not to mention authentic Irish food.
• TIP: If you think you have the best green attire, head to the Dublin House to compete in their costume contest.
• Step 4: Take a tour Take a tour of the Irish Heritage Trail through Boston. Maps are available, so you can go on a self-guided walking tour of the rich Irish history in Boston.
• Step 5: Sit down at a pub Sit down at a pub. Boston is loaded with Irish pubs that offer everything from Irish food to Irish sing-alongs. And it might not hurt to have a Guinness while you’re there.
• FACT: St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in Boston in 1737.

You Will Need

• Dancing abilities
• Map
• Desire to learn about Irish culture
• Green clothes (optional)

• Step 1: Wear green Don’t get pinched for wearing something other than green. Wear your green gear with pride.
• TIP: Add a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” button to your attire for some added fun. It might work even better than mistletoe at Christmas.
• Step 2: Make a non-alcoholic punch Make a non-alcoholic green punch by combining the lemon-lime soda, the lime sherbet, and the crushed ice. If people ask what you’re drinking, call it “leprechaun’s luck” or another name that refers to Irish culture.
• Step 3: Eat an Irish meal Sit down at a local Irish pub to eat an Irish meal. Some traditional Irish dishes include corned beef and cabbage and boxty, a potato dish.
• Step 4: Attend a parade Attend a parade in your area. Many cities in the United States throw a parade to commemorate the holiday.
• TIP: Find out if there is an Irish history tour of your area. This could include tours through old Irish neighborhoods and other cultural landmarks.
• Step 5: Learn some Gaelic Learn some Gaelic. Start simple with “Hello.” In Gaelic “Hello” is “Dia Dhuit.”
• Step 6: Be a designated driver Help out your friends who might not be celebrating so soberly and be a designated driver. By staying sober on March 17, you’ll wake up the next morning with fun memories of St. Patrick’s Day instead of a hangover.
• FACT: The first ever St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Manhattan — not Ireland — in 1762, 14 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

You Will Need

• Green clothes
• 1 gal. lemon-lime soda
• 2 pts. lime sherbet
• 2 c. crushed ice
• Desire to learn about Irish culture
• Button (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Cube beef Trim the beef of any fat or gristle and cut it into 2-inch cubes. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the butter to the pan.
• Step 2: Dredge and brown beef Place the flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the beef with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and dredge the beef in the flour. Add half the beef to the pan and cook it for five minutes, turning it to brown it on all sides. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon onto a plate and set aside.
• Step 3: Finish browning beef Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and the other half of the beef to the pan and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to the plate.
• Step 4: Add onion, broth, and beer Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook five minutes or until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for one minute, stirring frequently. Add the broth and beer, scraping the pan to loosen any brown bits.
• TIP: Use low-sodium beef broth for a healthier stew.
• Step 5: Return meat Return the meat to the pan. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
• Step 6: Add vegetables Uncover the pan and bring the stew to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• TIP: Check the tenderness of the vegetables by poking them with a fork.
• Step 7: Finish Uncover the pan, bring the stew to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Garnish the stew with the parsley and serve. Toast to your delicious stew with the remaining Guinness!
• FACT: The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin is modeled on a giant pint glass, reaching from the ground floor to The Gravity Bar on the seventh floor. If filled, this giant pint would hold approximately 14.3 million pints of Guinness.

You Will Need

• 2 lbs. stewing beef
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 large onions
• coarsely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 4 c. beef broth
• 1 bottle Guinness Draught
• 1 tbsp. raisins
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 c. sliced carrot
• 1 1/2 c. sliced parsnips
• 1 c. cubed peeled turnip
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsely
• Low-sodium beef broth (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Watch and learn Listen and learn. The best way to learn any accent is to observe and imitate it. Find speakers with the accent, or look for authentic examples of it in movies or audio recordings.
• Step 2: Match inflection Match the famous lilt, or pitch pattern of an Irish accent. Practice by starting a sentence speaking a little higher than your natural speaking voice, lower the pitch in the middle of the sentence, then raise it slightly at the end.
• Step 3: Change the vowels Change the vowels. Elongate the “aw” sound in words like “father” and “ball,” and the “ow” sound in words like “town.”
• TIP: “Been” is “bean” in an Irish accent.
• Step 4: Learn consonants Learn the consonants. Elongate “r” sounds and pronounce them harder. Pronounce “l” sounds harder and drop the “g” from “i-n-g” endings.
• Step 5: Use colloquialisms Use colloquialisms. “Ossified,” “fluthered,” and “in the horrors” are synonymous with drunk. If something is good, it’s “deadly.” If you’ve ruined something, you’ve made a “right bags” of it, and the expression “What are you like?” means “I can’t believe you’re so dumb.” Most British colloquialisms are also acceptable.
• TIP: Avoid using cliches like “top o’ the morning to you” and “blarney” – unless you’re in a leprechaun costume.
• Step 6: Use it Take your accent for a test-drive. Just make sure you go where it’ll be appreciated, not someplace where it’ll seem annoying or like you’re making fun. Cheers!
• FACT: According to a survey in the UK, the sexiest accent is Northern Irish.

You Will Need

• Observation skills
• Accents to observe
• Ability to imitate
• Colloquialisms
• Time to practice

Instructions

• Step 1: Say hello Give everyone you meet a pleasant, “Dia duit!” which means, “Good day!”
• Step 2: Exchange pleasantries Respond to a greeting of “Dia duit,” with “Dia is Muire duit,” which means “God and Mary to you.”
• Step 3: Be polite Be polite by knowing how to say please – “le d’thoil” – and “thank you” – “go raibh maith agat.”
• Step 4: Know how to say “yes” and “no” Know how to say “yes” – ta – and “no” – nil.
• Step 5: Say “Cheers!” Know how to say “Cheers!” in a pub; the word is “Slainte!”
• TIP: To add good health wishes to your toast, say: “Slainte chugat.”
• Step 6: Say goodbye Bid someone farewell with “slan.”
• Step 7: Know where the action is If someone mentions “craic agus ceol,” put on your dancing shoes: It refers to Irish nightlife involving music.
• FACT: The Irish alphabet, a variant of the Roman alphabet that developed in the 8th century CE, only has 18 letters.

You Will Need

• Good memory
• Practice

Instructions

• Step 1: Bake potatoes Arrange the potato wedges or waffle fries on a baking sheet and bake according to the directions on the package.
• Step 2: Add toppings Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the potatoes with the bacon, cheese, and scallions. Then return them to the oven until the cheese is melted – 3 to 5 minutes.
• TIP: Add diced tomatoes and jalapeno peppers.
• Step 3: Add salsa Top your nachos with your favorite salsa and a dollop of sour cream.
• FACT: Scallions are high in beta-carotene, folate, and potassium.

You Will Need

• A baking sheet
• A 24-ounce bag frozen of potato wedges or waffle fries
• Eight slices of bacon
• cooked and crumbled
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• Scallions
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Diced tomatoes (optional)
• Jalapeno peppers (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Blend garlic Begin the pesto by putting a clove of garlic in the food processor and blend it until fine.
• Step 2: Add pine nuts Add pine nuts, basil, salt, and parmesan, and blend them until fine.
• Step 3: Add oil While the machine is still running, slowly add the oil, mixing until it’s emulsified. Put the mixture into a small bowl and set it aside.
• TIP: Pesto can be kept for up to a week if covered and refrigerated, but it’s better to use it soon after preparing it.
• Step 4: Whisk yeast In a small bowl, whisk the yeast, a tablespoon of flour, and a quarter cup of warm water (roughly between 105° and 115° F). Let it sit until foam develops, which shouldn’t take more then 10 minutes. If it does, the yeast is dead–start again with a fresh package.
• TIP: Some grocery stores and pizza parlors sell ready-made dough.
• Step 5: Make the dough Mix salt, 1½ cups of flour, the foamy mix, about 6 drops of food coloring (depending on how green you want it), and the rest of the water until incorporated.
• Step 6: Add flour Add half a cup of flour. The dough should not stick to you; if it does, add more flour a little at a time, up to another three-quarters of a cup.
• Step 7: Knead dough Spread flour on your work surface and begin to knead the dough, making sure to add more flour when dough begins to stick to you. Continue this process until dough has an elastic quality and feels smooth throughout. This should take about 10 minutes.
• Step 8: Divide dough Cut the dough into two equal pieces, and mold each half into a circle. Heavily sprinkle the dough and two medium bowls with flour.
• Step 9: Let dough rise Put the dough into the bowls, and cover them with damp dish towels. Let the dough rise to twice its size; this will not happen if dough is too cold, so put it in a warm area. This should take about an hour.
• TIP: Dough can be put into the refrigerator, covered in plastic, and saved for 24 hours.
• Step 10: Grate cheese Grate the cheese and set it aside.
• Step 11: Wilt spinach Put two tablespoons of olive oil into a sauté pan over medium heat. Heat the sliced garlic until just slightly golden, then add washed spinach to the pan and sauté it until it’s just wilted. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
• Step 12: Roll dough Sprinkle a layer of corn meal on a cookie sheet. Roll out the dough to the desired thickness–ideally 9 inches around–adding additional flour if the dough gets sticky. Press down with your fingers, handling the dough as little as possible.
• TIP: If you like your pizza dough thick, roll out the dough less and cook it longer at a slightly lower temperature.
• Step 13: Add pesto Put the dough onto your corn meal dusted cookie sheet. Place a thick layer of pesto in the center of the dough, leaving an inch around the parameter. Sprinkle on a quarter cup of mozzarella cheese, half of the spinach, and then a quarter cup of mozzarella cheese.
• Step 14: Pinch dough Pinch the outside inch of the dough, pulling it slightly back into the pie.
• Step 15: Bake Put the dough into a 375° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with the second pie, and serve!
• FACT: The traditional Irish meal bacon and cabbage became corned beef and cabbage in America because beef was more plentiful.

You Will Need

• A food processor
• An electric mixer with dough hook
• 2 clean dish towels
• A cheese grater
• A baking sheet without sides
• A rolling pin
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 c. pine nuts
• 1 1/2 c. basil
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 to 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 oz. active dry yeast
• All-purpose flour
• 1 c. warm water
• 1 tsp. salt
• Green food coloring
• 2 lb. spinach
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese
• 1 clove garlic sliced as thin as possible
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 c. corn meal
• Ready-made dough (optional)
• Store-bought pesto (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Wash the meat Wash the brisket in cold water, then put it and the peppercorns or packaged pickling spices into a large stock pot and fill with just enough water to cover the meat.
• Step 2: Boil Bring the water to a boil, and skim the bubbles and residue from the surface with a wooden spoon.
• Step 3: Turn down heat Cover and turn down the heat, letting the water simmer.
• Step 4: Simmer Simmer for five hours, skimming the surface every 20 minutes, or as needed.
• Step 5: Add veggies With one hour remaining until the meat is cooked, add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic to the pot.
• Step 6: Add cabbage When 15 minutes remain, toss in the cabbage.
• Step 7: Remove Remove meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a serving platter.
• TIP: The liquid from the roast can be strained and used as the base of a sauce or soup.
• Step 8: Serve Brush the meat and veggies with butter, sprinkle with salt, and serve.
• FACT: Legend has it that President Grover Cleveland once smelled corned beef and cabbage coming from the servants’ quarters of the White House and traded his meal for theirs!

You Will Need

• Large stock pot with a lid
• 5 lb. corned brisket of beef
• 6 peppercorns
• or packaged pickling spices
• 3 carrots
• peeled and quartered
• 3 onions
• 2 ribs celery
• quartered
• 5 cloves garlic
• whole
• 1 medium-sized green cabbage
• quartered or cut in wedges
• Melted butter (about 4 tablespoons)

Instructions

• Step 1: Sift Sift four cups of bread flour into a large bowl with your baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• Step 2: Add buttermilk Pour buttermilk into the dry mixture, stirring until dough is formed.
• Step 3: Knead dough Flour a clean, dry surface and knead the dough for one minute.
• TIP: You can add any dried fruit, nuts, or seeds to the bread before you knead and bake it.
• Step 4: Halve the dough Cut dough in half with a sharp knife.
• Step 5: Shape With your hands, shape each half into a round ball and place it on a greased baking sheet.
• Step 6: Mark it Make an X into the top of each loaf with a knife, going about half an inch deep.
• Step 7: Bake Bake the bread in the middle rack of a 350-degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes.
• TIP: When a knife stuck into the middle of the loaf comes out cleanly, the bread is done.
• Step 8: Cool Put your soda bread on baking racks to cool.
• Step 9: Serve Serve with lots of butter and—what else—a nice cuppa tea.
• Step 10: Eat Eat it up! Irish soda bread gets stale in a few days.
• FACT: The ‘soda’ in Irish soda bread refers to baking soda being used in place of yeast.

You Will Need

• Bread flour
• 1 tbsp. double-acting baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. buttermilk
• Flour sifter
• Greased baking sheet
• A baking rack
• Dried fruit
• nuts
• or seeds

Instructions

• Step 1: Send out invitations Send out invitations a few weeks in advance. Decorate them with shamrocks, leprechauns, rainbows, and/or pots of gold. Or simply print them on green paper.
• Step 2: Plan the main menu Plan the menu. Corned beef and cabbage is traditional, but feel free to serve something else, like a hearty Irish stew (made with lamb, not beef) or fish and chips (chips being french fries).
• TIP: Include some crowd-pleasing appetizers that happen to be green, like guacamole, green salsa, and spinach dip.
• Step 3: Plan dessert Make Irish soda bread, or bake a four-leaf clover cake by using four heart-shaped pans. Put out bowls of green M&Ms and/or green jelly beans.
• Step 4: Decorate The Irish flag is green, white, and orange, so keep those colors in mind when you pick up paper goods, candles, balloons, streamers, etc. Float some green and orange tea candles in glass bowls of water or, for an unusual look, in martini glasses.
• TIP: A bowl of oranges and Granny Smith apples makes a nice—and practical—centerpiece.
• Step 5: Offer green cocktails Make green beer by adding a few drops of green food coloring to a pale-colored brew. Make apple martinis for non-beer drinkers using sour apple schnapps, vodka, sweet and sour mix, and apple slice garnishes.
• Step 6: Play Irish music Play music by Irish artists, like The Chieftains, U2, Enya, The Corrs, and Van Morrison.
• Step 7: Have a dance contest Pop in a CD or DVD of Riverdance and hold an Irish step dancing contest. Present a rabbit’s foot—a symbol of good luck in Ireland—to the winner.
• Step 8: Serve Irish coffee Serve everyone an Irish coffee (coffee with whiskey and topped with whipped cream) before they leave.
• FACT: The oldest official St. Patrick’s Day parade is the one held in New York City, which started in 1762.

You Will Need

• Invitations
• Corned beef
• cabbage
• and potatoes
• or other traditional Irish foods
• Guacamole
• green salsa
• and/or spinach dip
• Ingredients for an Irish soda bread
• Green M&Ms and jelly beans
• Green
• orange
• and white paper goods and decorations
• Lots of beer
• Green food dye
• Vodka
• sour apple schnapps
• and sweet and sour mix for apple martinis
• Irish music
• A CD or DVD of Riverdance
• A rabbitu2019s foot
• Coffee
• Whiskey
• Whipped cream
• 4 heart-shaped cake pans
• Granny Smith apples
• Oranges

Instructions

• Step 1: Dress in a little green Dress in a little green—emphasis on little. Dubliners don’t go around wrapped head-to-toe in green with ‘Kiss me, I’m Irish’ buttons and plastic bowler hats. A splash of green is all you need.
• TIP: Go ahead and pinch anyone who’s not wearing any green; that’s a time-honored tradition in Ireland.
• Step 2: Go to church Go to church. Yes, you heard us. The traditional way to honor good old St. Patrick is by attending morning Mass in his honor. At the very least, pop into a house of worship and say a prayer for someone.
• Step 3: Greet everyone Greet everyone you meet with a cheery, ‘Beannachta na File Pdraig oraibh’ which means, ‘St. Patrick’s Day blessing upon you.’ Try saying that after a few Irish whiskeys!
• Step 4: Bake a real Irish soda bread Forget those sweet, cake-like loaves that pass as Irish soda bread here in the States. Find a recipe for the real thing, which is made with flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk—no butter, eggs, or raisins. Serve with lots of salted butter.
• Step 5: Make a stew While we’re on the subject of food, ditch the corned beef and cabbage and make a lamb stew instead. Or have some Atlantic salmon. Both are more Irish than corned beef, which is a decidedly American-Irish dish.
• Step 6: Forget the green beer Forget the green beer—to get it green, you have to drink the pale stuff, which isn’t nearly as traditional as ordering a glass of dark, robust Guinness.
• TIP: When you raise your glass of Guinness, say ‘slainte’ (pronounced ‘slawnche’) Gaelic for ‘to your health.’
• Step 7: Spend family time Spend some time with your family. St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is akin to Thanksgiving Day in America, with the family counting their blessings together. They even play football! Well, actually it’s a combination of soccer and rugby, but it’s called Gaelic football.
• Step 8: Make a wish Make a wish on a four-leaf clover—or cast a love spell by thinking of someone while swallowing a four-leaf clover. It’s also said that if you tuck one in the heel of your left shoe, you’ll marry the first person who enters the room. But that seems kind of risky to us.
• FACT: Americans who claim to be of Irish descent now number more than 34 million—which is more than eight times the population of Ireland today.

You Will Need

• Something green
• A church
• An Irish soda bread
• A lamb stew or Atlantic salmon
• Guinness
• A four-leaf clover

Instructions

• Step 1: Chill beer mugs Chill some 16-ounce beer mugs in the freezer.
• Step 2: Add food coloring When the glasses are nice and frosty, add a few drops of green food coloring to the bottom of each.
• Step 3: Substitute curaçao If you’d prefer not to use food dye, add of shot of blue curaçao liquor to each mug instead of the coloring.
• TIP: Be sure to add the coloring or the liquor before you pour the beer, or else you’ll have to stir it.
• Step 4: Add beer Pour light-colored ale into the chilled mug, since beer that’s dark to start will just get darker when dyed. Add more food coloring if necessary.
• Step 5: Raise your glass Raise your glass and offer this traditional Irish blessing: ‘May the road rise to meet you; May the wind be always at your back; May the sun shine warm upon your face; And rains fall soft upon your field; And until we meet again; May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.’
• FACT: When St. Patrick was 16 years old, pirates captured him in his native Wales and sold him as a slave in Ireland.

You Will Need

• A light-colored beer
• Frosty beer mugs
• Green food coloring or blue curau00e7ao liqueur