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Everyone knows of the Irish holiday called St. Patrick’s Day, which is widely celebrated around the world. However, few people can delineate the authentic Irish customs and traditions from the newer, more Americanized traditions.

Truly, Irish-American St. Patty’s Day celebrations are still valid, but it’s fascinating to see how old customs have been reinvented in the modern era. The next time you sit down to that corned beef and cabbage dinner, you’ll know the real reasons behind why you’ve chosen that particular food.

“Traditionally in Ireland, the feast of St. Patrick is a celebration of the Christianization of Ireland,” says Ninian Mellamphy, a professor at the University of Western Ontario who came over from Cork, Ireland.

For many years, the Irish holiday was commemorated by attending mass and honoring the missionary who converted much of Ireland from paganism to Christianity in the fifth century. “It was a quiet celebration of our culture,” he adds.

“There was no sense of the carnival.” Rather, the “carnival” of beer drinking, Irish music, parades and parties began when homesick Irish immigrants got together to celebrate their origins.

The Americanized version of Saint Patrick’s Irish holiday has made it back to Ireland, says Mary C. Kelly, a professor at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. “It used to be a very church-focused event, but in the last 10 years, it has become much more commercialized and Americanized.”

She says this probably has to do with an eagerness to lure tourists during a chillier, rainier time of the year. “It’s a reflection of the fact that the Irish have become very wealthy in the past decade,” Kelly explains.

She also believes Irish who have tried their luck abroad and returned back home are bringing a lot of their American traditions back with them, where it’s intermingling with the Irish culture.

“Some would be aware that they’re bringing what you might even call a new culture back there. Others wouldn’t, they would see it as their own personal interpretation.”

To read more Irish Holiday On St Patricks Day

The 2010 Saint Patricks Day parades are traditionally held the Sunday before March 17th in America. Seattle mops the city blocks of their parade route in kelly green for the celebration.

Chicago has been dyeing the river green for the holiday since 1961, which has inspired Indianapolis to dye its canal, Jamestown to dye its river and Savannah to dye its fountains.

Boston, Massachusetts holds the longest running Saint Patrick’s Day parade, which has been operating since 1737. If you don’t mind traveling, there are many Irish festivities from which to choose.

New York City does everything larger than life and their 2010 Saint Patricks Day parades are no exception. You can expect 150,000 participants, including politicians, firefighters, military personnel, police forces, county workers, emigrant societies, bag pipers, social clubs and dance troops and two million spectators.

Generally, the parade is moved to Saturday when March 17th falls on a Sunday. Visitors can enjoy their Paddys Day celebration at Molly’s Pub and Restaurant, which is famous for their shepherd’s pie and frothy pints of Guinness.

Downtown Chicago will undoubtedly be hosting one of the biggest and best 2010 Saint Patricks Day parades. The festival kicks off with the world-renowned Chicago River dyeing, which is a beautiful sight to see at night in particular.

Pipe bands, elaborate floats, Irish dancers and Irish culture demonstrations flood the city during this week in March. Parties run nonstop in Chicago bars, pubs and nightclubs.

Live Irish music plays at Abbey Pub and Restaurant on the north side, which can’t be missed for the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

To read more Activities For 2010 Saint Patricks Day Parades Across America

Boston, Massachusetts offers no shortage of Irish events this year, including their world-renowned St Patrick’s Day parade.

Whether you’re in the mood for Irish pubs and grub, Irish parades and festivals, or Irish museums and historical walks, you will find Boston has everything you need. Before you take off, it’s best to plan where you’ll be and at what time well in advance, since St. Patrick’s Day is a bona fide holiday here.

There are many festive activities following Boston’s St Patrick’s Day parade. While many locals will undoubtedly flood the local Irish pubs, you might want to experience more of the local culture by strolling down the twenty locations on the Irish Heritage Trail.

This three-mile self-guided walking tour will take you through downtown Boston, the North End, Beacon Hill and Back Bay. On your walk, you’ll see the Rose Kennedy Garden; statues of Irish heroes like Kevin White, James Michael Curley, Maurice Tobin, David I. Walsh and John S Copley; civic wonders like Boston’s City Hall, the Massachusetts State House; memorials for the Boston Irish Famine, Colonel Shaw, Soldiers and Sailors, Commodore John Barry, the Boston Massacre, Colonel Thomas Cass O’Reilly; and Fenway Park.

If it’s food and spirits you’re after for your St Patrick’s Day parade celebrations, then be sure to visit the Brendan Behan Pub (278 Centre St). According to Ireland native/bartender John Casey, “It’s probably about as similar to something back home as you’d get around Boston.”

Listen to live Irish music four nights a week at The Snug (116 North St). County Galway favorite, The Corrib Pub (369 Market St) is a favorite for native-born Irish folk. The Last Hurrah (60 School St) has been a popular meeting place for over 150 years.

For delicious authentic food, the following are a few Saint Patrick’s Day party ideas. Sweeney’s Retreat (18 Atlantic Ave), The Purple Shamrock (One Union St), Jose McIntyre’s (160 Milk St), Coogan’s (173 Milk St), The Brownstone (111 Dartmouth St) or The Black Rose (160 State St). For more information, visit www.irishmassachusetts.com/pubs_restaurants.php.

To read more Festive Activities Following St Patrick’s Day Parade In Boston

The house is decked in green, the Irish music is playing softly in the background and you’ve got the table set.

Organizing a Saint Patrick’s Day dinner can be a fun way to celebrate this March holiday with your friends and family. While your first instinct may be to shop for corned beef and cabbage, there are a number of traditional dishes from which to choose.

According to the Food Services of America organization, a Saint Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage is perhaps more of an Irish immigrant luxury than a traditional dinner served in Ireland.

Thanks to the use of expensive salts in production, corned beef was a costly delicacy that was reserved for annual Easter feasts. Pork and fresh beef would be more authentic Saint Patricks Day dinner ideas.

The FSA recommends serving up the following dishes for your dinner this March. Irish Lamb Stew, Irish Pot Roasted Chicken, Marinated Fried Fish Strips & Potatoes, Cod Cobbler, Potato & Parmesan Gratin, Bangers and Rum Sauce and Irish Smoked Salmon Salad.

What Saint Patrick’s Day dinner would be complete without a tasty Irish dessert? Irish chef Damien Brassel of Knife & Fork in Manhattan recommends serving a bottle of whiskey. Cathal Armstrong, an Irish chef at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia, recommends apple-based desserts like crumbles, pies, cakes, fritters, dumplings or soufflés.

For an Irish-American take on desserts, try a Guinness Cake. With any luck, your St. Patty’s Day dinner will inspire your children to carry on Irish customs and traditions of their own one day.

To read more Planning Ideas For A Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner

Whether you’re a parent gathering the kids together for a fun family celebration or you’re a college student looking to “go all out,” there are many Saint Patricks Day party ideas from which to choose.

For some, the party hits the streets along the parade routes, in local Irish pubs and in restaurants. For others, a more intimate gathering at home with a potluck dinner is preferred. After all, Saint Patty’s Day is about so much more than wearing a spot o’ green to avoid getting pinched!

If you’re hosting an adult party, then there are many Saint Patricks Day party ideas to keep everyone entertained. Some Americans like to prepare green beer by adding a few drops of food coloring to a glass of light beer, like Harp’s.

However, if you want to go with the authentic Irish customs, you should go for a Guinness or some Irish whiskey instead. For a green cocktail called “Green Grog,” mix two 12-ounce cans of frozen limeade concentrate, two 12-ounce cans of frozen lemonade concentrate, two 2-liter bottles of lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage, one 750 milliliter bottle of rum and 2 quarts of lime sherbet.

For a delicious “Girl Scout Cookie” tasting shot, fill half a shot glass with Bailey’s Irish Cream, pour to three quarters full with white chocolate liqueur and top her off with creme de menthe liqueur.

You’ll definitely want to incorporate Irish songs in with your other Saint Patricks Day party ideas, since music often sets the tone for the celebration. You can go modern Irish with rock bands like U2, The Boomtown Rats, The Chieftains, The Cranberries or Sinéad O’Connor.

Other top-selling Irish acts include Enya (Celtic-New Age) and The Corrs (pop). Or you might want to go Irish punk rock with bands like the Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Pogues, The Real McKenzies, Blood or Whiskey and The Street Dogs. Amazon also sells mixed compilations with traditional folk songs like “Whiskey in the Jar,” “Danny Boy,” “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” or “Pub With No Beer.” Bagpipe CDs are a good way to set the tone, while borrowing from authentic Irish traditions.

To read more Keeping Friends Entertained With Saint Patricks Day Party Ideas

Forget fancy gowns and champagne toasts this year. Sometimes hosting a New Years Eve party for kids can be a welcome respite from overpaying for drinks, running around town on one of the busiest nights of the year and worrying about nursing a New Year’s Day hangover.

Besides, you only have so many years to decide how your children spend their holidays. Soon they’ll be running off to teen parties and college bashes, leaving you wishing you had just one more year to spend with them. Here are some tips for creating the perfect party.

Naturally, a New Years Eve party for kids will require some supplies. Hats, party blowers, noisemakers and glow-in-the-dark items are kid-friendly additions meant to ring in the New Year. Many parents decorate with balloons filled with confetti, streamers and festive table cloths.

Party crackers or party poppers can be purchased in the holiday section of stores like Wal-mart. You may want to have the kids make their own “Happy New Year” signs to hang in the living room for added ambiance. All these elements can contribute to a festive celebration.

At your New Years Eve party for kids, make sure to stop the activities just before the ball will drop in Times Square. Be sure the TV is on and ready for the countdown. Have the kids gather their party hats and noisemakers. Pour the kids’ glasses of Sparkling Grape Juice and set them aside.

At the stroke of midnight, you may want to tell the kids to run outside and shout “Happy New Years” at the top of their lungs (so the decibel level inside doesn’t blow the roof off!) Once the wildness of the celebration has quieted down a little, have the kids put on their PJs and watch a movie, which should get them calmed down and ready for bed.

To read more Planning Ideas For A New Years Eve Party For Kids

Choosing which New Year’s Eve food to make for your party can be a tough decision. If you insist on being the host with the most, you are probably tallying up the cost of ingredients in your head to find that you could easily spend a small fortune.

If you’re only hosting a handful of family members or friends, then you may be able to serve a full sit-down dinner. However, if you’re inviting anyone and everyone, you may want to stick with appetizers and finger foods.

Another option would be a “pot luck” style meal, where each guest brings his or her favorite dish to share. Celebrations are all about food and gathering together, so choosing the right bites is essential to the success of your New Year event.

One approach to New Year’s Eve food is the “breads and spreads” theme. Your buffet table will have little plates ideal for grab-and-go foods like Mediterranean hummus, feta cheese and herb pâté spreads; stuffed grape leaves, stuffed olives and spinach pie triangles make nice additions to this plate.

Gourmet cheese is always a hit, so be on the look out for pepato, Asiago, Monchego and Brie. Cheese goes well with crackers, fresh berries and warm baguettes. Mini-croissant sandwiches made of turkey, Brie and basil aioli are to die for. Little slices of filet mignon with bleu cheese crumbles, Vermont cheddar, crispy onions and horseradish cream make a nice dish as well.

New Year’s Eve food doesn’t have to be as focused as the offerings served at Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. Spirits are surely the main course at this party and the food is merely to keep people from getting overly intoxicated or ill.

The best foods can be gobbled up on small plates just to satiate. Think of the foods that bars and pubs serve up, such as chicken wings, hot pretzels, potato skins and hotdogs. You also have the opportunity to bring out some really creative finger foods that aren’t seen any other time of the year, when main courses typically take center stage.

If you’re not much of a cook, then you may even want to get a caterer to serve little sub pieces or sandwiches. Throw a few bags of chips out there and some fresh veggies and dip; before you know it, you’ll have a tasty New Years buffet table of food!

To read more Better New Year’s Eve Food For Your Party

The first day of a new year is steeped in superstitions. Many of our popular New Year traditions revolve around tricks that supposedly bring good luck. For instance, it is believed that good luck will be bestowed upon family and friends if they celebrate together.

Foods like donuts, black-eyed peas, ham, cabbage and rice are all viewed as “lucky.” The first visitor on New Year’s Day is believed to bring either good or bad luck for the rest of the year. When you plan your New Year celebration, you will likely keep many of these traditions in mind.

Naturally, food is what makes celebrations go round and the New Year celebration is no exception. Parties can be an awful lot of work for the hosts, so you may want to delegate by asking guests to “bring a dish.”

Often times, hors d’oeuvres are simply served — cocktail shrimp, mini cocktail wieners in baked croissants, pizza and taco dips, canapes, puffed pastries, cream cheese roll-ups, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, cold cuts, deviled eggs, sausages, dumplings, bruschetta, cheeses and raw veggies with dip. Wine and champagne are usually served to guests as well.

The day after your New Year celebration, you may be feeling a little worn out. It’s the perfect day to veg out on the couch and watch the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl college football championship game.

The parade dates back 121 years, when the Valley Hunt Club used to decorate their carriages with an extensive array of flowers. They wanted to show others across the country the bountiful harvest they had at this time of year, as the orange crop was ready.

The Rose Bowl game used to feature ostrich and chariot races, but reverted back to football in 1916 with the sport’s increased popularity.

To read more Better Ideas For Your New Year Celebration Party

If you have a particular Christmas party theme in mind for your holiday party this year, then you may want to consider playing some games that will tie in with that theme.

Of course you do not need to have a theme as there are party games that are fun to play whether you are an adult or a child, as well as some that are fun for both.

“Date that toy” is another great idea for adult party games at Christmas. You just gather together several pictures of toys that were very popular during the time when your guests were kids, and then see if they can name the toy.

You can do this by either having them guess the name or you can provide the answers on cards and then have them match the card to the toy. Check out the Internet for other Christmas games that are fun to play for adults, as there are many different sites that have great ideas.

Party games for kids are fairly simple. You can try different versions of pin the tail on the donkey by changing it to pin the nose on Rudolph or pin the star on the top of the Christmas tree.

A Christmas party for children would not be complete without a game of musical chairs, use Christmas tunes for the music and handing out prizes to the winners.

To read more Party Games For A Fun Christmas

Throwing holiday parties can be more than a little stressful, yet if it is a Christmas family party that will also include the in-laws, then that stress level can soar. However, there are some things that you can keep in mind when you are planning the festive party that should help you to keep your stress level down to a manageable level.

Sometimes alcohol can bring out the worst in people, so consider limiting the bar. For these types of holiday parties consider setting up a coffee and eggnog bar with different liqueurs and creams for everyone to sample. If anyone asks tell them that you are trying out a different Christmas party theme including different refreshments.

Giving gifts to each and every family member at your Christmas party can be expensive. As well, there is always the chance that someone will not like what they receive or that they may think someone else got something better; however childish this may be.

If you feel this may be a problem, then you can give them all something similar like some homemade goodies, or you can let the kids open theirs gifts during the party but give the adults their gifts as they are leaving, so that they can open them at home.

This should help avoid any unpleasant situations during holiday parties, at least when it comes to the gifts.

To read more Avoiding Unpleasant Situations During Holiday Parties