St. Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day is on

• Thursday, 17 March 2022

• Attending parades and a céilí;
• Wearing green and shamrocks;
• Drinking Irish beer and Irish whiskey

Assuming your kids aren’t yet built for a traditional game of Irish football or rugby, try some of these games in honour of St. Patrick’s Day!

• Play St. Paddy’s Day Games - Play a game of hot potato or consider a “potato hunt” (think: Easter egg hunt but with small potatoes) or a “Pot o’ Gold” treasure hunt (a search for gold chocolate coins or homemade “gold”). Or, try a simple green candy guessing game.
• Go to a Parade - Check local event listings for a St. Patrick’s Day parade in your area. Dress in your best green attire, and get ready to watch some cool bagpipers, Irish step dancers, and fire engines roll through.
• Make St. Patrick’s Day Crafts - Stock up on green construction paper and craft supplies, and get creative with your little leprechauns. Find St. Patrick’s Day crafts online and make great party decorations or gifts for Irish grandparents.
• Eat Irish Foods and Green Treats - Popular Celtic cuisine includes potato dishes, soda bread, meaty stews and dinner pies. So there’s plenty to choose from beyond not-so-kid-friendly corned beef and cabbage for your St. Patrick’s Day party menu. Or simply dye some of your favourite treats, such as cupcakes and milkshakes, with green food colouring.

Clearly, there’s quite a lot you can do to keep everyone in the family excited for this day!

Should you choose to shop from the comfort of your home online, here are some tips and tricks to make sure you shop safely, securely and smartly:

• Shop with trusted online retailers or do thorough research before making purchases from unknown retailer sites.
• Never provide your credit card information if you do not see the ‘padlock’ on the upper left-hand side of your address bar, or if the address begins with “HTTP://” instead of “HTTPS://”.

• Keep your information private. If the retailer asks for too much information such as your birth date and social security numbers, do not complete the transaction.
• After shopping online, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on all your banking statements, checking them weekly rather than by the month, just in case something slipped to a hacker. Notify your cardholder service if there are any discrepancies immediately.
• Maintain good virus protection on your computer to prevent spyware and other hacks from accessing your information. Many trusted anti-virus services are available online for free so you can take advantage of convenient online shopping.
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi to do your shopping, rather use secure connections.
• Be cautious of unsolicited emails and pop-up internet adverts with too-good-to-be-true offers. Use caution when a deal is drastically better than others and always double-check before clicking on ads.