In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations across the world have been cancelled in order to minimize the risk of expediting the spread of the disease which has 169,387 confirmed cases, as of the latest tally of Johns Hopkins CSSE in March 16.
WalletHub initially projected a whopping US$6.16 billion to be spent for this highly anticipated celebration. That is an average of $43 per person celebrating. WalletHub also reported around a 174% increase in beer sales during St. Patrick’s Day in contrast to the rest of the year.
As expected, the recent events will definitely deflate this figure, given the lowered number of customers.
However, we cannot expect the celebration to be at a complete halt. Some people still chose to celebrate St. Patrick’s weekend in spite of the virus fears.
This is understandable. With 32.1 Million Americans who claim Irish ancestry — which is seven times the population of Ireland — and being among America’s biggest cultural holidays, a lot would still want to celebrate St. Paddy’s day.
However, you don’t have to risk your safety in order to partake in the St. Paddy’s day celebrations. Here are 5 ways you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day while remaining safe in your own home.
1. Make some soda bread
Ballymaloe House published a white soda bread recipe so that you can enjoy the classic Irish treat this St. Patrick’s Day. What is nice about this recipe is that you don’t need much cooking experience to come up with a decent one. Darina Allen, the owner of Ireland’s Ballymaloe Cookery School also has a video which shows you how to make the Irish soda bread.
2. Watch St. Patrick’s Day Movies
While resting at home, you can, of course, watch some films to make your St. Patrick’s Day worthwhile. Some of the popular movies set during St. Patrick’s Day include:
IrishCentral also made a list of the most popular Irish movies which you can also check out.
3. Watch the world go green
Ireland’s Global Greening Initiative will let you see your favorite monuments and landmarks like the Niagara Falls, Empire State Building, London Eye, and others be bathed in green lights which will be streamed online.
4. Read classic Irish books
Now that you are most likely resting at home, it may be a good time to pick a classic Irish book. Irish Central made a list of twenty classic Irish books and history books you can read during St. Patrick’s Day.
5. Enjoy classic St. Patrick’s Day drinks
You would probably prefer not doing the usual night out this St. Patrick’s Day. However, that doesn’t stop you from still enjoying some classic St. Patrick’s Day drinks like Guinness Draught, Irish Whiskey, and Irish cocktails. There is an abundance of recipes that will let you make the perfect concoction.
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