6 Sober Activities for St. Patrick’s Day

For whatever reason, St. Patrick’s Day, a day to honor the saint closely associated with Ireland, has morphed over the years into an excuse to over-indulge in alcohol. The consumption of green-colored beer and other green alcoholic concoctions has become the staple of the holiday, celebrated on March 17.

However, individuals in recovery may elect to skip St. Patrick’s Day altogether rather than being exposed to triggers. Skipping the party scene may be a wise decision, but fortunately, there are numerous ways to enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. For some great suggestions for a sober St. Patrick’s Day, please read on.

How to celebrate holidays sober with a new mindset

For the individual starting their recovery journey, facing a holiday like this every so often can pose a formidable challenge. St. Patrick’s Day is just one celebration in a long line of holidays that involve alcohol consumption. Now that you are in recovery, the choice you face is to either wait out the holiday at home, or to find alternative activities and still engage socially in the celebrations.

When you enter recovery, your whole mindset has to change. You will no longer look forward to gatherings and events with the intent to consume alcohol, as your mindset is now centered on protecting your sobriety at all costs. When you prioritize your recovery over everything else, you’ll find that holidays do not have to be a problem. Instead, you will be two steps ahead, already planning fun new sober activities to partake in.

6 sober activities to try on St. Patrick’s Day

For many people, simply wearing a green shirt or a leprechaun headband is enough to acknowledge St. Patrick’s Day. However, for too many folks, this holiday represents an opportunity to misuse alcohol. Now in recovery, we are no longer in that camp but still want to socialize with others on the green holiday.

Consider enjoying any of these six sober activities on St. Patrick’s Day:

1. Find a St. Patrick’s Day parade: Many communities will host a festive St. Patrick’s Day parade featuring children dancing and singing, floats and Irish music. For some wholesome fun, find a local parade.
2. Host an Irish-themed potluck: How about planning a St. Patrick’s Day potluck? You provide the corned beef and cabbage and invite guests to each bring an Irish-themed side dish or dessert. Serve some green mocktails for an extra St. Paddy’s touch.
3. Look for a local Irish music event: Get tickets to an Irish musical or theatrical event in your area, such as Riverdance, Celtic Thunder or an Irish musical concert.
4. Look for sober St. Patrick’s Day meetup events: Most metropolitan areas have sober meetup groups that post events, such as sober St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Check the meetup.com website.
5. Learn some Irish dancing: Invite a group of friends to gather and learn some Irish dancing moves. You can ask a friend with Irish dance experience to teach the group, hire a dance teacher or just learn together from a YouTube video.
6. Organize a hike and Irish-themed picnic: Throw on a green t-shirt, grab some friends and set out on a scenic nature hike. Plan a mid-way stop for a St. Patrick’s Day-themed picnic. Serve corned beef hoagies and potato chips on special St. Patrick’s Day plates.

There is plenty of fun to be had in recovery, including on St. Patrick’s Day. With a little imagination, St. Patrick’s Day becomes a fabulous sober event — one you’ll look forward to every March 17.