Ireland Gift Giving Customs

Flag of Ireland: Vertical tricolor of green, white and orange

Capital: Dublin

Currency: Euro

Official Religion: Catholicism

Government: Republic, Parliamentary Democracy

Ireland is a popular destination with a history dating back as far as 6000 BC, Ireland is a country full of traditions. From Irish dancing and leprechauns, to cabbage and mashed potatoes... for the Irish, family is everything. Dedicated to a slower lifestyle, the Irish prioritize time for friends and family. The children are always included when entertaining. Even when family members move away, their ties to home remain strong.

How you speak says a lot about you in Ireland. For the lyrical and poetic Irish, speaking is an art form. Known for their quick wit, the Irish pride themselves on finding humor in all situations. Insults are often traded among friends. If you will be visiting Ireland, expect to be teased. And if you are, don't take it personally! Know that it is acceptable to tease back if done so in a good-natured way.

Gift Giving in Ireland

• Traditionally, gift giving in Ireland is customary for birthdays and Christmas.

• If you are invited to someone's home, do take a gift. Flowers, chocolate, cheese, and wine are good choices.

• The gift need not be expensive. Giving something personal and the choice of the gift is more important.

• When giving flowers, don't give lilies as they are for religious occasions only. White flowers symbolize death and are used for funerals.

• Gifts are usually opened in front of the giver. When receiving a gift it is customary to politely refuse a gift when it is first offered. When giving a gift to someone, expect him or her to do the same.

• The same is true when offered a gift of hospitality: refuse it once and maybe twice. The third time it is offered, you should accept. This custom may have come from the days of the Potato Famine. Although people had nothing to offer, they could offer the hospitality of a cup of tea or other without embarrassment. By offering a third time, the recipient was assured that accepting the gift would not cause the giver hardship.

Business Gift Giving

Corporate gifts are typically not exchanged in the Irish business culture. However, for business social events, smallgifts are appropriate – a bottle of wine or a gift from your home country. Most Irish businessmen are golfers, and business is often conducted on the golf course, so golf gifts are popular. The gift is even more appreciated when customized with the logo or identity of your club or hometown.

Saint Patrick's Day

Ireland's largest festival in March, the Saint Patrick’s Day Festival, includes colorful parades, traditional music and Irish dancing all around the country. The Irish love to party and people fill the streets. It is no wonder that on Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone claims to be Irish -- opting for the green of the Irish flag to express their "Irishness" wearing green hats, green attire and shamrocks.

Saint Patrick, although Ireland's patron saint, is actually not from Ireland, but from Britain. He was taken prisoner from his home by Irish raiders and brought to Ireland to work as a shepherd. After escaping and returning to Britain, he received a vision from God telling him to return to Ireland to spread Christianity. The story of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland was most likely symbolic of putting an end to pagan practices, which disappeared from Ireland in the centuries after St. Patrick's missionary work.

Why the Shamrock?

In an attempt to explain the Holy Trinity - The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit - Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain how they could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. Thus, the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

Irish Pubs

The Irish love their pubs. Not only a place for a drink, the pub is at the center of their social culture. The national drink is Guinness stout. It is usually served cool, as opposed to most other beers, which are served at room temperature. Beer usually comes in pints or half-pints and a "pint of plain" is a pint of Guinness. Whiskey spelled with an "e" means Irish whiskey and is usually drunk neat or with water - never over ice. Refusing a drink can be perceived as an insult in Ireland. Be sure to buy a round of drinks, a common courtesy in Ireland.

If you are planning a trip to Ireland, you may find the following tips helpful:

• A firm handshake with a smile is the common greeting.
• Always be sincere. The Irish dislike pretentious behavior and do not trust people who lavish excessive praise.
• Direct eye contact is important. People who avoid eye contact may not be perceived as trustworthy.
• Avoid controversial topics in Ireland: the English and immigrants, the Americans and the Irish, and religion - a sensitive subject with the issue of Protestants and Catholics.
• Blend in! Don’t wear bright colors – opt for conservative wool and tweed.
• Don’t forget your raincoat – you will need it year-round.
• For the Irish, work can be perceived as a 'necessary evil.'
• When in Ireland, do as the Irish do.

St. Patrick's Day Shipping Guidelines

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Tips for Planning a St. Patrick's Day Party

St. Patrick's Day celebrations include parades, wearing of the green, music and Irish food. All the ingredients for having fun and forplanning a St. Paddy's Day party that will make your friends green with envy. Here are some tips for planning a St. Patrick's Day celebration that will have your guests searching for the pot of gold and kissing the blarney stone before the evening ends.

St. Patrick's Day Party Planning Tips

Decorations With a theme as specific as St. Patrick's Day, the decorating should be easy. Think green, all shades of green. Most florist will have green flowers, such as carnations, to create centerpieces. Use green tablecloths, plates, napkins, and utensils. Sprinkle the tables with shamrock confetti. Arrange little "pots of gold" around for your guests to discover (gold pieces can be gold foiled covered chocolates.) Put green bulbs in the light fixtures or stream green Christmas lights around. Hang cutouts of leprechauns and shamrocks. Green and gold balloons. Create posters with Irish sayings. (these can be incorporated into games)

Party Favors You can find St. Patrick's Day party favors at any party store or on the internet. Below are just a few suggestions for party favors. Basically, anything that is green, Irish themed, shamrocks or leprechauns, beer themed, etc. would be great for party favors. Green Leprechaun Hats Shamrock Glasses Green Bead Necklaces Packages of Green Jelly Beans or M&M's Green Boas Lottery Tickets Irish themed/Shamrock Tiaras Shamrock Temporary Tatoos Kiss me I'm Irish buttons Green Mustaches Shamrock Drinking Cups Four Leaf Clover Plant

Food and Drinks A typical Irish/American dish is Corn Beef and Cabbage. This dish is easy to cook and will certainly get your guests thinking Irish. Soda Bread is also a traditional Irish staple and you can have Irish cheese served with a crispy bread or crackers for an appetizer. Cupcakes with green icing and Irish themed decorations, cookies cut in the shape of a shamrock, key lime pie, and green Jell-O would all be festive foods for the party. You don't have to stick with traditional Irish fare. Almost any food can be green with a little food coloring. That is if your guests would not mind eating green foods that are not naturally green. Add green food coloring to dishes like Mashed Potatoes or Mac-and-Cheese. Try mixing in some naturally green foods like asparagus or spinach to balance the menu. Of course the most authentic Irish drinks would be Irish whiskey or a pint of Irish beer. With a little "greentivity" you can create many festive beverages for the party. A St. Patrick's Day Party Punch with lemon-lime soda and lime sherbet would be fun for the kids and Irish coffee for the adults. You can also add green grenadine to clear beverages and lime Kool-Aid would make excellent options for drinks. Don't forget the Irish toast in keeping with the spirit of the holiday... May the winds of fortune sail you, May you sail a gentle sea. May it always be the other guy who says: "this drink's on me." Some may say the glass is half empty, Some may say the glass is half full, But the Irish will forever say "Are you gonna drink that?" Here's to me, and here's to you, And here's to love and laughter- I'll be true as long as you, And not one moment after.

Entertainment Irish music playing in the background will get everyone thinking Irish. CDs with Irish folk and traditional Celtic music should be available at your favorite music store. Many games can be given an Irish twist. Games like, Irish Trivia, Name that Irish Tune, Pin the Shamrock on the Leprechaun, a scavenger hunt for the Pot of Gold would certainly be enjoyed by your party guests. An Irish Jig dancing contest or a contest on who can make the best green libations, are also popular St. Patrick's Day party activities.

"May the Leprechauns be near you, To spread luck along your way. And may all the Irish angels, Smile upon you on St. Patrick's Day."

History of St. Patrick's Day

Everyone knows this Holiday is signified by the green, the festivity, the food and drink, the interesting way each participant celebrates, and of course the shamrock. From even the beginning, the green is worn in remembrance of Ireland, the food and drink are staples in the celebration, people dress up, rivers turn green, and the shamrock has been dated back to the very beginning when Saint Patrick made it famous.

Saint Patrick is the reason for this celebration, and the man honored for being the saviour of Ireland. St. Patrick became a religious man and introduced these beliefs and ideas to the Irish people. He spoke of a better life and freedom from bondage. Throughout this crusade, he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It became a tradition to wear a clover to each sermon delivered from Saint Patrick. The tradition and symbol has continued ever since. There are many credits given to Saint Patrick, some to be believed and others to be just great myths. Regardless of the truth, the Irish honor Saint Patrick for their freedom.

This honor and these festivities is carried out all over the world. It came to America in 1737 and was first celebrated in Boston by Irish troops serving in the English military. This show of patriotism was actually the very first Saint Patrick's Day parade. This has been carried on ever since. Now, many festivals, parades, celebrations, and commemorations exist world wide.

On a side note, Saint Patrick is actually a perfect example of a gift giver. He was constantly performing random acts of kindness and giving gifts to anyone, but never accepting any in return. Now that's a true gift giver.

St. Patrick's Day Celebrations and Customs

Chicago, Indianapolis and San Antonio dye their main canals green for St. Patrick's Day. Savannah, Georgia dyes its downtown city fountains green. At the University of Missouri, Rolla the St. Pat's Board Alumni paint 12 city blocks kelly green with mops before their annual parade. Traditional dishes you might find served in Ireland on this feast day would be corned beef & cabbage, mulligatawny traditional Irish soup, steak and guinness pie, and Dubliner cheese tart. In the US, eating green has become somewhat of a strangetradition on St. Patrick’s Day. Green food dye is used to pigment many foods, like beer and mashed potatoes. Other already-greenfoods perfect for a St. Pat's party include lime Jell-O, green M&M’s, split pea soup, spinach dip, key lime pie, and pistachio ice cream.