How to celebrate St Patrick's Day in London? | PSL

It’ll soon be St Patrick’s Day in London on Wednesday 17^th March, a fun global celebration of the Irish culture to remember St Patrick – the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

It’s safe to say St Patrick’s Day in London celebrations are all a bit up in the air at the moment, with COVID-19 restrictions still very much present.

If you’re a student studying in the amazing city of London, you’re probably wondering how to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in London in 2021?

We’ve done some research and gathered some ideas, although there may be some last-minute changes to some points due to COVID-19.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can celebrate St Patrick’s Day as a student in London!

1. London St Patrick’s Day Run

Why not bring in St Patrick’s Day with a 5k lap of the perimeter of Hyde Park?

Taking place on Sunday March 14^th, this St Patrick’s Day run proved very popular last year, making it a must for this year!

It starts at Wellington Arch and includes a 5k lap of Hyde Park following the trails close to the fence line, before returning back to Wellington Arch.

Keep an eye on their website for any changes in the event, and we’ll also try our best to keep you updated.

2. St Patrick’s Parade In London

Although this event has been cancelled this year, you should definitely keep an eye out for it next year when things are back to normal!

After all, the Irish are experts when it comes to a good party, and the St Patrick’s Parade in London is filled with loads of fun every year.

You can check out free performances in Trafalgar Square and try out a traditional drink of Guinness!

Tuck into some Irish food, have a dance, get dressed up, and enjoy the parade featuring pageantry and plenty of eye-catching floats.

It’s definitely worth visiting the St Patrick’s Parade in London one year, it’s a super memorable event filled with laughs and good fun!

3. Make A St Patrick’s Day Feast!

It’s time for some scrumptious food, because who doesn’t love a feast with your friends to mark a special occasion?

There are so many different traditional food options to pick if you really want to get involved in St Patrick’s Day in your student accommodation.

Soda bread, a classic Irish stew, Irish apple cake, and potato leek soup are just a few of the traditional meals you can add to your feast!

Impress your friends with a traditional Irish dish and celebrate the day in style in the heart of your luxury student accommodation.

4. Watch A St Patrick’s Day Movie

Whether you watch a movie on the communal TV with your friends, or stream a film on Netflix on your laptop, there’s loads of St Patrick’s Day movies to get you in the spirit.

P.S I Love You with Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank is a great Irish movie for those who prefer something a little soppier and Leap Year starring Amy Adams is another great rom com too.

For those students who prefer a little more action, Michael Collins starring Liam Neeson is all about the Irish Republican army in a battle against Britain for their independence.

If you’re struggling for movie motivation, check out this list for some inspiration and make sure you have plenty of snacks at the ready.

5. Learn An Irish Dance

This could definitely be a fun activity with your university friends, because who doesn’t love a good dance, right?

There’s plenty of YouTube tutorials to give you a helping hand, but really it’s just all about having fun, you don’t have to be perfect!

Did you know? The roots of Irish Dancing come from the Celts and the druids; the dancing was originally a religious ritual that has since become a tradition.

Learning an Irish dance is a fun way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in London, who knows, you might be a natural!

6. Bake Some Treats

This year, why not try and bake some traditional Irish treats to really impress your family and friends?

It doesn’t have to be anything super extreme, but if you feel like a challenge, St Patrick’s Day is definitely the day to give it a go!

Bake a traditional Irish apple cake or some traditional buttery shortbread to dunk in your cuppa.

For something a little more out there, you could try baking a soda bread pudding with spiced cream and caramel sauce.

If that isn’t enough to make your stomach rumble, we don’t know what is!

7. Who Has The Best Hat?

It’s no doubt that St Patrick’s Day is definitely an excuse to wear some extravagant hats, right?

You can get so many different hats on Amazon for a good price, so why not make the most of that and have a hat competition?

The bigger and greener the better, so grab your university friends and have a bit of competitive fun!

8. Visit Irish Pubs

This idea for how to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in London may not be applicable due to COVID-19, but you can still bear it in mind.

There are so many amazing Irish pubs that you need to visit as a student living and studying in London!

What better time to do it than on St Patrick’s Day when the atmosphere is fully buzzing and everybody can have a good time?

Waxy O’Connor’s near Chinatown has a great vibe and Philomena’s Irish Sports Bar & Kitchen on Great Queen Street, Holborn is definitely worth a visit too.

Of course, this is all of the current lockdown restrictions are lifted, and remember to be safe and responsible around the city with a mask and extra precautions.

9. Wear Green!

St Patrick’s Day in London wouldn’t be St Patrick’s Day without plenty of green garments!

Funnily enough, green clothes were never really part of the equation back in the day, but nowadays it’s pretty much green or nothing.

This is because of leprechauns of course! Legend has it that they pinch anyone not wearing their favourite colour!

All the more reason to get dressed up in your green clothes for the day, to fully make the most of St Patrick’s Day.

10. Zoom Party!

With the future remaining quite unknown, we might not be able to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with our family and friends like we usually do this year.

But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a laugh on Zoom and celebrate it virtually!

Zoom has been the answer to all of our prayers this past year, helping with not only university but our social lives too.

So why not set up a zoom party to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in London with your friends, have a Guinness, and get your best hat on!

We hope you found these top tips on how to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in London useful! Although things may not be totally normal this year, you can still have loads of fun celebrating in your luxury accommodation. If you’re an international student and wondering about the new UK visa rules, check out our latest blog here for more information!