St. Paddy’s Day Party Ideas

St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, which means it’s one of those rare times when Georgetown students finally have some fun. There’s nothing better than putting on that one green shirt  you never wear and eating and drinking as much as you possibly can. But for those people who are tired of the traditional St. Paddy’s Day celebration, here are some ideas to spice up your party this weekend.

St. Natty’s Day

What combines St. Paddy’s Day and college more than having a party where you only drink Natty Lights? Who cares that it’s not an Irish beer? We’re in the United States anyway.

St. Fratty’s Day

Just pretend Georgetown has a large Greek life presence on campus and throw a frat party complete with beer pong, bros and backwards hats. So frat!

St. Daddy’s Day

This party can go two ways. You can throw down with everyone’s biological father or celebrate with your real ~daddy~ ;).

St. Caddy’s Day

Time to bring out the Vineyard Vines and polo shirts, and turn your Henle into Georgetown’s most lit and most exclusive country club.

St. Ratty’s Day

This one is for all the important rats in our lives. We can officially party in celebration of the Wisey’s Rat™. Chicken Madnesses for everyone!

Happy St. Paddy’s Day, Hoyas!

Photos/Gifs: giphy.com, qrznow.com

8 Ways to Maximize St. Paddy’s Day Fun

Well Hoyas, it’s that time of year again: St. Patrick’s Day.

A day where we all come together to celebrate Irish culture, beer, the color green and, of course, the life of a great saint.

Prepare yourself using these steps and you too could have the best St. Paddy’s Day of your life.

  • Wear something green

Look through your closet. Look through your friends’ closets. Swing by TJ Maxx on your way home from yoga. Whatever you do, find something green to wear. Don’t be that one party-pooper who is not wearing green because he “doesn’t own anything green” or “couldn’t find anything.” You’ve had a whole year to prepare for this. When Saturday rolls around, those excuses just aren’t going to fly.

  • Brush up on your Saint Paddy’s Day history

Wait, who even is St. Patrick? Some random Irish dude? Something about snakes and four-leaf clovers? It’s probably been a while since you learned about St. Paddy in your second-grade CCD class. Take a few minutes to read St. Paddy’s wiki. Come Saturday, you’ll be able to bust out some knowledge that would impress even your 80-year-old Irish grandma.

  • Color your culinary palette

From green eggs and ham to green Jell-O shots, take this opportunity to add some festivity to your plate. With some green food dye and some Bailey’s, you can make anything magically delicious.

  • Work on some dance moves

You may not be able to win a World Irish Dance competition, but that shouldn’t stop you from busting some moves on the big day! Try looking up some tutorials on YouTube. You can even gather up some friends and choreograph a routine. Everybody loves a good Irish jig.

  • Practice your Irish accent

Watch a movie with Irish people in it (like the Disney Channel Original classic “The Luck of the Irish” for example). Practice your accent in front of the mirror, in front of your friends — even in front of your professors if you’re feeling bold. By the end of the week, no one will even be able to tell you’re not even a little bit Irish.

  • Set a leprechaun trap

Sort of like the mouse traps that are already under your bed, but this one might actually work! Take the necessary precautions and you too can sleep soundly knowing you won’t be the subject of any pranks, tom-foolery or practical jokes. All that s–t is for April, not March.

  • Take a chance on your luck

Go ahead! Shoot your shot! Send that risky text! St. Paddy’s day is the perfect time to see whether all that superstitious, four leaf clover, lucky charms stuff is true or not. If you’re lucky, you could end up with something way better than a pot of gold. If not, well…

  • Enjoy St. Paddy’s Day your way

As one of the greatest holidays, St. Paddy’s Day is all about having fun. On this day you can finally purge all those leftover emotions from Valentine’s Day, make the greatest spring break comeback of all time and really prep yourself for the last few weeks before summer. Whatever your plans, make sure you gather up all your friends and enjoy every second of your St. Paddy’s Day this year.  

Photos/Gifs: giphy.com, tumblr.com

Casual Thursdays: Paddy vs. Patty

casual thursdays st pattys

Every year, as green beads start appearing in CVS and Luck of the Irish plays on Disney Channel, the age-old debate starts anew: Is it St. Paddy’s or St. Patty’s? In good Irish tradition, as the beer flows faster and the passion runs higher, so here at 4E we thought it best to duke it out before we give ourselves over to celebrating a saint that did something with snakes.

The Traditionalists These are the true Irish, the ones whose blood, sweat, and tears have a delightful tint of green all year. Easily identified by last names starting with Mc or O’, these merry folk tend to turn as red as their hair when exposed to the sun. They argue that this noble holiday celebrates their Irish heritage and, as such, it is only proper that we refer to it as St. Paddy’s, the name used in Ireland (because Patty is a girl’s name anyway). Furthermore, they made their own website to prove to us that besides possessing otherworldly tolerances and an absurd amount of freckles, they too can use the Internet.

Recommended Drink: Irish Car Bomb (recipe below)

The Progressives This crowd fully embraces the motto “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!” These day-drinker warriors would never let their ancestry hold them back from a good party, and therefore are often spotted wearing t-shirts with vaguely-Irish-but-mostly-alcoholic messages: “Kiss me I’m (Almost) Irish”, “Shake Your Shamrocks”, “Irish I Were Drunk”. They interpret the phrase “Erin Go Bragh” as having something to do with a drunken lady losing her clothing, but have dyed their milk green every March 17th since third grade. They believe in cheap beer and America, and in that vein, don’t give a damn what they call it in Ireland when St. Patty’s makes more sense anyway. After all, you don’t call you friend Patrick Pad do you? That would be weird.

Recommended Drink: Peppermint Patty (recipe below)

Our drinks this week are guaranteed to get even the stoutest of Irishmen into the holiday spirit, so for those of you who would prefer to avoid a literal pub crawl down Prospect, take it easy and mix in a green-tinted water.

Irish Car Bomb Celebrating all things Irish

  • Pint of Guinness
  • ½ shot of Bailey’s (Irish Cream)
  • ½ shot of Irish Whiskey (preferably Jameson)
  1. Pour the Guinness into your shamrock studded beer mug.
  2. Fill a shot glass with an equal mix of Bailey’s and whiskey
  3. Drop the shot into your beer and chug for the love of St. Paddy (serves 1)

Peppermint Patty Letting your friends pour things in your mouth

  • Chocolate syrup
  • Peppermint Schnapps
  • A trusted friend
  1. Sit on something stable and tilt your head back
  2. Have your friend squirt chocolate sauce in your mouth followed by a shot of Peppermint Schnapps
  3. Wipe off your face–chances are slim that your “friend” managed to keep all that in your mouth and off your witty St. Patty’s day shirt.

Well, whether it’s Patty’s or Paddy’s, we at 4E are going to try both of these drinks! Enjoy and be responsible!

Photo: bp.blogspot.com, Foodista

Best Bets: Elephants and the Irish

It’s not just the first weekend back on campus since Spring Break – it’s also Saint Patty’s Day Weekend so Best Bets has got you covered to make sure you have a great time!

Friday:
Unfortunately, we won’t be at the Verizon Center to see our boys playing basketball for the rest of the year, but you can head out there this Friday at 7:30 p.m. to see another awesome act — the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey: Fully Charged. Tickets range from just $14 to $110. If you are too busy to attend tonight, there are additional show times on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday:
Celebrate St. Patty’s Day at Fur Night Club (33 Patterson St. NE) from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. for the Georgetown Glow in the Dark Party featuring Cazzette with Baker and Atkinson opening. Tickets can be purchased online for $20, which includes admission, an open bar and round trip transportation. Buses will be leaving from the main gates. One hundred percent of the profits will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Sunday:
After what is sure to be a crazy night, wake up on Sunday morning to attend the St. Patrick’s Day Parade from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The parade, which will travel along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets NW, includes floats, marching bands, pipe bands, as well as members of the military, police and fire departments. It is best to take the Metro to the Smithsonian or Federal Triangle stops on the Orange/Blue lines or the Archives/Navy Memorial stop on the Yellow/Green lines.

Shillelaghs, Shamrocks, and Irish Ditties

While rifling through The Hoya’s archives, 4E found this little tidbit from John Cassidy (Ed note: Not a known relative of this blog’s editor), in an article called “Georgetown Irish Frolic Amid Revolution and Pranks” from March 15, 1950.

‘Tis but a night or two ’til St. Paddy’s Day and already the minds of the Hilltop’s Irish Irish Colony are turning to thoughts of green beer, shillelaghs, shamrocks and “good ole Irish ditties.”

Much thought every year is given to the correct manner in which Georgetown’s hard-headed Irish should take it upon themselves to celebrate this, the most hallowed day in the history of the Emerald Isles. Should it be a day of frivolity or a day of deep contemplation of dear “auld” Ireland?