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How to Prepare for St. Patrick’s Day

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BC chapter.

 

You’re back from break and as you walk through campus, you notice you have an unusual spring in your step.  You suddenly have a new obsession with all things green in color, and you even have a craving for corned beef and cabbage.  It’s undeniable: you’ve been bitten by the St. Patrick’s Day bug and your inner-Irish is coming out.

Whether you’re mostly of Irish decent like me or don’t have a drop of Celtic blood in you, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.  Here’s how to prepare for a rowdy day of celebrating with your fellow Irish Collegiettes.

1.     Eat the Irish way!  Start your morning with an Irish breakfast of soda bread and bangers (sausages).  If you’re looking for something a little less traditional and a little more college-friendly, check out this website for 34 ways to use Guinness in your St. Pat’s recipes, including Guinness chocolate cheesecake, Guinness bacon cheeseburgers, and Guinness truffles.  Pinterest has tons of recipes for the holiday too.

2.     Dig around in your closet and find your most Irish-appropriate apparel.  Celtics jerseys, green Mardi Gras beads, and even BC-affiliated Irish gear are appropriate.  If you don’t have any green in your drawers, load up on accessories.  Shamrock headbands, green feather boas, and shamrock temporary tattoos are all available on Amazon.

3.     Get in the spirit of the holiday with an Irish playlist.  Make sure you include tracks from the Dropkick Murphys, U2, and The Dubliners.  Don’t forget tracks like “Reel Around the Sun” and “Countess Cathleen” from Riverdance.  If you’re friends with an Irish dancer, they will be the first to tell you that an Irish soundtrack isn’t complete without “Siamsa” from Lord of the Dance.  Trust us.

4.     Speaking of Irish dancers, support your on-campus troupe, Boston College Irish Dance!  Founded in 2006, BCID consists of 30 dancers who have competed or are still competing at the local, national, and international level.  Watch out for BCID performances around campus throughout the week and at Common Ground bar in Allston on St. Patrick’s Day at 6 pm.

5.     As Collegiettes, we all know that St. Paddy’s Day wouldn’t be complete without some celebratory beverages.  Break out your favorite form of Irish alcohol (if you’re 21+ of course)—Jameson, Bailey’s, and of course, Guinness, are some of the most popular choices.  If you’re feeling really ambitious, mix up an Irish car bomb.  Don’t forget to say “Sláinte” before drinking, a drinking toast meaning “good health” in Ireland.

Erin go bragh Collegiettes!

 

Photo Sources:

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http://0.static.wix.com/media/254962_8401101406b7ebfc5eff43df87ac9932.jpg_512

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachel…

 

Caitlin is currently a student at Boston College studying English and Pre-Law.  At BC, she is a member of the Boston College Irish Dance Club, on the Honors Program Student Executive Board's Community Service Committee, and interns and writes for the fashion and culture blog Rusted Revolution.  She has been wriring for Her Campus BC since Jaunary 2011 and is serving as BC's Campus Correspondent for the 2012-2013 school year.  Outside of school, she is a competitive Irish dancer, and has been dancing for 18 years. During her high school career, she completed an engineering project at Case Western Reserve University that made her one of 40 Intel Science Talent Search Finalists in 2009.   In addition to all of this, Caitlin loves reading, yoga, running, shopping, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.