How to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day like an
Irishman. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day Like an Irishman. You will need Something green A church An
Irish soda bread A lamb stew or Atlantic salmon Guinness and a four-leaf clover. Step 1. Dress in a little green—emphasis on little. Dubliners don’t go around wrapped head-to-toe
in green with “Kiss me, I’m Irish” buttons and plastic bowler hats. A splash of green is all you need. Go ahead and pinch anyone who’s not wearing
any green; that’s a time-honored tradition in Ireland. Step 2. Go to church. Yes, you heard us. The traditional way to honor good old St.
Patrick is by attending morning Mass in his honor. At the very least, pop into a house of worship
and say a prayer for someone. Step 3. Greet everyone you meet with a cheery, “Beannachta
na File Pdraig oraibh” which means, “St. Patrick’s Day blessing upon you.” Try saying that after a few Irish whiskeys! Step 4. Forget those sweet, cake-like loaves that
pass as Irish soda bread here in the States. Find a recipe for the real thing, which is
made with flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk—no butter, eggs, or raisins. Serve with lots of salted butter. Step 5. While we’re on the subject of food, ditch
the corned beef and cabbage and make a lamb stew instead. Or have some Atlantic salmon. Both are more Irish than corned beef, which
is a decidedly American-Irish dish. Step 6. Forget the green beer—to get it green, you
have to drink the pale stuff, which isn’t nearly as traditional as ordering a glass
of dark, robust Guinness. When you raise your glass of Guinness, say
“slainte” (pronounced “slawnche”) Gaelic for “to your health.” Step 7. Spend some time with your family. St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is akin to
Thanksgiving Day in America, with the family counting their blessings together. They even play football! Well, actually it’s a combination of soccer
and rugby, but it’s called Gaelic football. Step 8. Make a wish on a four-leaf clover—or
cast a love spell by thinking of someone while swallowing a four-leaf clover. It’s also said that if you tuck one in the
heel of your left shoe, you’ll marry the first person who enters the room. But that seems kind of risky to us. Did you know Americans who claim to be of
Irish descent now number more than 34 million—which is more than eight times the population of
Ireland today.