How to have great craic on St. Patrick’s Day while social distancing
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What happens when a holiday hits the same week as a pandemic? We bring you four ways to celebrate while practicing safe social distancing right here in Birmingham. Check it out! 🍀
The World’s Greenest Holiday
St. Patrick’s Day is also commonly known at the Feast of St. Patrick. Named for the foremost patron saint of Ireland, people now celebrate this day all over the world. In fact, it’s actually celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.
In the wake of a lot of COVID-19 craziness, public health professionals are encouraging social distancing and/or isolation. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the world’s greenest holiday! Here’s how.
1—Cheers to Doing Your Part
Historically, the holiday’s tradition of alcohol consumption is exacerbated by the lifting of Lenten restrictions. Grab your roommate(s) and cheers to keeping the public healthy with social distancing!
Here are a few traditional drinks you might want to try out:
- Cozy up with an Irish coffee. Fill a mug with piping hot coffee, add brown sugar and stir till dissolved, blend in Irish whiskey and top with whipped heavy cream.
- Pour up a Guinness. Duh. This dark Irish dry stout is debatably one of the most recognizable Irish libations.
- Start your day with an Irish Breakfast Shot. Ok, maybe don’t start your day with it—breakfast for dinner, anyone? This shot contains Irish whiskey mixed with butterscotch liqueur. The chaser? Orange juice + a strip of bacon.
Want a great photo for your social distancing Instagram story? Learn how to pour the perfect pint from Fergal Murray, The Guinness Master Brewer himself.
2—Don your Green
Just because you’re in your own home doesn’t mean you have to forgo your green. Break out your best green sweatshirt and settle in.
I’ll be playing a St. Patrick’s Day game for 2020. Without warning, facetime your friends who are also practicing social distancing. If they can’t show you any green that they’re wearing, make a note and be sure to pinch them the next time you see them—in keeping with tradition, of course.
3—Order in an Irish Feast
Not up for making your own Irish Stew? That’s ok. Here are a couple of dishes you can order right to your doorstep in Birmingham:
- Cottage Pie from Brennan’s Irish Pub via Grubhub
- Irish Nachos from On Tap Sports Cafe via Waitr
- Corned Beef and Cabbage from Brennan’s Irish Pub via Grubhub
- Cottage Pie from Brennan’s Irish Pub via Grubhub
4—Binge Watch an Irish TV Show
Just because “quarantine and chill” is the new “Netflix and chill” doesn’t mean you can’t binge-watch while you distance. Here are three television shows with Irish actors that are available on streaming services in the U.S.
Bonus points if you perfect the accent!
- Derry Girls (Netflix)
- Catastrophe (Amazon Prime Video)
- The Fall (Netflix)
How are you cracking on with the celebrating while social distancing, Birmingham? Let us know on social @BhamNow
