Dig out your favourite green shirt and dust off those dancing shoes as Saint Patrick’s Day is right round the corner and we’re giving you some ideas on how to celebrate at the office. 

Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural holiday held annually on March 17 to honour the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. 

While the holiday has roots dating back centuries, the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day was popularized in the 20th century, with nations around the world celebrating the day. 

Major cities around the world, like the Sydney Opera House in Australia will be lit up in green to commemorate the day. Chicago even dyes the river that runs through the heart of the city green and has been doing so since 1961. 

And though Saint Patrick’s Day falls on a Monday this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t have some festive fun at the office.

Wear green

Rule No. 1 of Saint Patricks’ Day is to wear something green and it’s the easiest one to follow. The shade doesn’t matter, nor does the theme of the shirt. Some popular green clothing items of the day are Irish-themed, like a Boston Celtics of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, or Toronto St. Pats jersey. 

If you don’t have anything green at your disposal, you can grab a temporary shamrock tattoo from the dollar store or ask a colleague. 

Irish food

While the day is known for green beer, putting out a spread of Irish food is another great way to get into the spirit. Dishes like Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, a classic Irish stew, and Shepard’s pie are a hearty and tasty ways to celebrate Irish heritage. 

On the sweet side, desserts like shamrock-shaped sugar cookies, shamrock shakes, green cupcakes, and Irish coffee are great ways to satisfy that sweet tooth. 

Decorate the office 

Dressing up the office with some fun, festive decorations are another way to bring some St. Paddy’s Day fun to the office. Drape some shamrock garland, stick some rainbows to the wall, construct a green balloon arch, and some pots of gold holding gold-wrapped chocolates to bring any works space to life. 

For more office fun, you can take an Irish dance class with your team, do an office scavenger hunt for Irish-themed prizes, do a photo booth, and some Irish trivia.