Green, white, leprechauns, shamrocks, and a pot of gold are all representations of St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick's Day is an annual holiday that celebrates St. Patrick. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and this day is always celebrated on March 17th. It is a day when the Irish stand proud and raise their beer glasses high in the air. This is a day when the Irish pubs are packed, corned beef is cooked everywhere, and parades march down the streets.

Essentials - If you are hosting a St Patrick's Day party you must have a few essentials; beer (preferably Guinness), corned beef and cabbage, Irish music, and the color green in everyplace you can put it. The color green is found everywhere on St. Patrick's Day because it is the national color if Ireland. Serve your corned beef on green plates, eat your cabbage with green forks and drink your beer out of green cups.

Drinks - The drinks most likely found associated with the Irish are Guinness Stout, Irish whiskey, and Irish cream. Here are just a few drink ideas to enhance the Irish mood;

• Buy green food coloring and dye all the beer green.
• For the kids you can make green milkshakes by adding green food coloring to the ice cream, or use green mint ice cream to make the milkshake.
• Add Baileys Irish Cream to coffee for an Irish coffee and top it off with green colored cool whip.
• Make a drink called The Shamrock Cocktail;
• 1 oz Irish whiskey
• ½ oz white crème de cocoa
• ½ oz green crème de menthe
• 1 oz milk

When it comes to green food coloring you can dye about practically anything. You can add green food coloring to pasta as it boils for green pasta dishes or you can even add green food coloring to your toilet bowl tank for green toilet water. Eeewww Gross! But it will add a creative touch.

Food - There are many traditional foods served on St. Patrick's Day, starting off with the most popular which would be corned beef and cabbage. You will want to start your corned beef early in the morning because you will want it to slow cook for at least 4-5 hours, with the cabbage in the pot as well, until it is served. If you are having a day party and people will be in and out throughout the day it will not hurt to simmer the corned beef all day, this will also add a very tasty aroma to the air. Some other St. Patrick's Day favorites are:

• Irish lamb stew
• Irish salmon
• Lamb chops
• Shepherd's pie
• Irish soda bread

Good food, good drinks, and good crazy friends are what the Irish are all about. Incorporate these main ingredients into your party, and adding touches of green in every corner possible. You will be on your way to an unforgettable St. Patrick's Day party.