Question of the Week
Dear Miss LARE:
My husband is currently immobile because of an injury. He’s Irish, and loves to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by going out with his friends and getting drunk on green beer at a local pub. I call it St. Patrick’s Day, but he spouts St. Paddy’s Day, I don’t understand, but I go with it. I don’t mind his desire to party, but this year it’s really impossible. He’s upset about his condition. What can I do to help him celebrate? I’m up for anything.
A Supportive Wife
Miss LARE’s Answer
Dear Supportive Wife,
Your husband has the luck of the Irish, with a wife who wants to help him celebrate his heritage. Let’s see if we can come up with a few ideas.
#1 What about a party at your house? Invite his friends over, with the caveat that no one is to feel sorry for him. Have one of them bring green beer. It’s easy to make, with either a few drops of green food coloring slowly mixed in to a lager or pale ale, or stir in some matcha powder.
Someone could bring corned beef sliders (even a non-cook can make those), loaded potato skins (some call these Irish nachos), soda bread, and a Guinness beer cheese dip. They could watch the movie The Fugitive. It’s not based on Saint Patrick’s Day, but the unscripted parade scene is a real parade the film infiltrated. Or what if they play poker, but use chocolate coins instead of real money.
#2 If you are willing to do a little work, cut out 17 shamrocks. St. Paddy’s Day is on March 17th, get it? On one side, write a special memory, and the other side write a hint to the memory. Hand them to him one at a time, hint side up, and see if he can figure out the memory. An example would be a pepperoni pizza and Pulp Fiction, and the other side says “first date”. Or I Will Always Love You and wedding song. Things like that.
Other St. Paddy’s Day Ideas
#3 Do some fast research on the internet, and create a Jeopardy board of 25 questions relating to St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland. Google things like little known facts/trivia about Saint Paddy’s Day, since your husband is Irish. Maybe you will stump him on a thing or two. Like did you know St. Patrick was not Irish? He was actually a British boy of Roman parents, kidnapped into Irish slavery. Until I was researching your question I had no clue.
#4 Find some kind of cute gift on the internet, But be quick about it, you only got a week left. Some obnoxious t-shirt is always good. I found a funny coffee mug that says “Irish I was still in bed”. Or anything that says Irish (as in I wish) fill in the blank.
Hope this helps, or this might give you your own snappy idea.
Miss LARE
What Would You Do?
What other holiday could have something quirky like this to celebrate?