10 Tips for a Really Green Saint Patrick’s Day

March 17th, 2010

Note: This is a lightly updated post I run every year at this time. I guess every year I hope the Giants and Safeways and other grocery stores and mass merchandisers will stop hawking so much crap on Saint Patrick’s Day. But as this picture I snapped yesterday attests, they’re still at it….

stpattysephoto

Flowers are great….green plastic hats and plastic wrapped flowers – not so much!

The “green” holiday is becoming anything but green. Back when I was a kid, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day was simple. You put on some green clothing, perhaps a “Kiss Me I’m Irish” button, and made sure to down some beer that night. If you truly had the Luck of the Irish, you got to watch or march in a St. Patrick’s Day parade.

But like everything else in our consumerist society, we’re being prompted to buy more “stuff” to celebrate properly. I’ve admitted to loving the tacky, tacky side of Christmas, replete with blow-up inflatables and lighting, but decorating for the holidays is a longstanding tradition. Do we really need more inflatables barely three months later? This year, St. Patrick’s Day inflatables have popped up on suburban lawns, biding their time till they end up in our landfills. (Check it out here). And more and more, the retailers are offering special Cheap Plastic Crap for St. Patrick’s Day. Cheap Plastic Crap is bad enough in kid’s goody bags. Do we really want to encourage it on St. Patrick’s Day too?

Here are 10 tips for celebrating a truly green, eco-friendly St. Patrick’s Day. Have fun! Luck o’ the Irish to you!

1. Wear Green

2. March in or Watch a St. Patrick’s Day Parade

3. Enjoy Some Irish Spirits (and if it’s beer you’re drinking, opt for organic!)

4. Sing Irish Songs

5. Visit an Irish Pub or Restaurant (Walk or take public transit if you can!)

6. Bake and Decorate Some Green Cookies or Cupcakes

7. Skip the Corned Beef, Go for the Cabbage (Why? Cattle farming is a contributor to global warming).

8. Say No to Cheap Plastic Crap for St. Patty’s Day

9. Say No to St. Patty’s Lawn Decorations and Inflatables

10. Smile and Say Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Have fun!