How to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day during lockdown

St Patrick’s Day 2021 marks the first year anniversary of the lockdown in Ireland — but let’s not celebrate that grim milestone. Instead, let’s celebrate hundreds of years of Irish culture, not just in Ireland, but all over the world. And let’s hope that after Paddy’s Day is cancelled for the second time we don’t get a plague of snakes — that’s all we need!

But even if we can’t have the craic at parades and street celebrations, the party doesn’t have to stop. Your business can celebrate from a distance but still get close to the spirit of the day with these creative ideas. Let’s go!

• Go green: If you have a website or small store, you’ve got a green light to go overboard on colour for a few days. A green theme will resonate with your customers, maybe topped up by a shamrock in your logo, Irish flag emoji on social media posts, or sharing stories and images from around the country. In your email marketing campaigns, share stories about your company’s hometown’ — people love a good backstory. The main thing is to keep it cheerful — there’s also a spring feeling in the air so stay positive!

• Offer St Patrick’s Day deals: If you run a restaurant, prepare a takeaway meal deal for individuals, couples and families with an Irish twist. Jewellers can offer special deals on Claddagh rings and shamrock accessories, and bookshops can offer bundles on classic Irish titles. And St Patrick’s Day is all about music, right? Record stores could run a social media poll of top Irish albums and offer a discount on the top 10. If you offer services that can’t be booked right now, you can still join the party and offer coupons for later in the year. Social media giveaways and quizzes are also a great way to connect with your audience.

• Organise a virtual community event: St Patrick’s Day is Ireland’s biggest social event of the year, and we can keep the craic going online. A small webinar or an online event can generate a buzz in your community. Teach them something about your business that might help them through the latest lockdown. Don’t go for the hard sell — maybe an Irish crafts class, a cocktail party, a coffee brewing hour offer — a proper social event that builds up a sense of community. 

• ‘Luck of the Irish’ experience: Get your customers to try their luck with a giveaway or a draw. Share a post on social media and spread the word on your website or email marketing campaigns. Create a buzz around the prize and make a big deal of celebrating with the winner — or winners. 

• Get staff to join in: Retail stores are closed, and most companies are working from home, but social media can bring us together for big communal events. Ask staff to share party ideas on social media, and get your followers involved. Even if your store is closed, share some shop-front images for a virtual Paddy’s Day window display. It’s all about starting conversations and having fun! 

In trying times, we all want to feel connected to places, memories and special moments. If you do this for your customers you’ll make a connection and they’ll remember you. Happy St Patrick’s Day — and remember, we’ll be back to the ‘old normal’ this time next year!