How to Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day Online

We wish we could tell you that you could drink a virtual pint of Guinness, but you’re not that lucky. If you’re not a resident of Boston, Chicago, New York, or Ireland, and you’re not with your family and friends this Saint Patrick’s Day, don’t fret. You can still celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day—online! All you need is a little bit of luck. Start by kissing the Blarney stone.

1. Virtual Cards

“May the roof above you never fall in, and those gathered beneath it never fall out.” Send an e-card to someone under your roof, however wide it may stretch this Saint Paddy’s day. Sending cards for any holiday—in any format—is never a bad idea. All they do is brighten someone else’s day. If you can’t be with the people you care about and want to have some St. Paddy’s Day fun, send online cards. Jibjab has great options for online cards, including videos starring you and all your friends. 123greetings offers additional spirited options with animations and Irish blessings.

2. Parades

As Tennessee Williams said, “Luck is believing you’re lucky.” Believe you’re lucky and follow all of the Saint Patrick’s Day parades around the world by opening lots of tabs on your browser and watching them. NBC New York will stream the Saint Patrick’s Day parade live in New York. You can also live stream the one from Dublin. Even better? Check out this parade schedule to make your streaming plans. To watch the one in Boston, you can download an interactive mobile app and live stream it right to your phone. Sure you’ll have a whale of a time!

3. Jokes

“Knock, knock. (Who’s there?) Irish. (Irish who?) Irish you a happy St. Patrick’s Day, friend.” If there’s one thing you can count on today, it’s a good joke. Celebrate your passion for Saint Patrick’s Day online by researching Irish jokes. Check out these SFW jokes that you can’t miss.

4. Research

Did you know that the first Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1762—not in Ireland? Or that Saint Patrick’s Day partiers thought that wearing green would make them invisible to leprechauns? Use your online savvy to learn more about the holiday—its history, traditions, and its myths. Start with Wikipedia, and ride the waves of the web. You won’t regret it. Just don’t get pinched by those wily leprechauns.

5. Movies

If you have the capacity to livestream a parade, you can livestream a classic Irish movie, too. Check out John Wayne in The Quiet Man, a boxer who travels home to Ireland, only to fall in love. Another classic? The Commitments, with a soundtrack that will make your heart sing. A newer film, Brooklyn, looks at the Irish immigrant experience in early 20th century New York; it’s also a great read (See #6).

6. Books

Reading online has never been easier. If you’ve never read James Joyce, today’s a great day to jump in. Read Joyce’s The Dubliners, free on Project Gutenberg. You can also access many of his other works there, too. Poetry more your thing? You can’t go wrong with Yeats or Heaney. How about a play? You can’t go wrong with Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. You’ll be waiting awhile. But don’t worry. It’s Saint Paddy’s Day. You have nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.

If your online Saint Patrick’s Day festivities don’t wear you out too much, be sure to try to get out with some friends, or make a quick call or text to someone who’s important to you. You certainly won’t regret it.

May the luck of the Irish be with you!