St. Patrick’s Day has come to be synonymous with raucous revelry, but with a rich history full of food, music and culture, there are plenty of ways to celebrate without focusing on drinking. You can go the traditional route and make authentic Irish food, or go a little more modern with an all-green shamrock or rainbow theme. Either way, these ideas will help you create the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Decorations

The best way to get into the spirit of the holiday and boost everyone’s mood is with festive decorations. These easy DIY decorations will bring plenty of color (and hopefully luck!) into your home. If you’re throwing a dinner party, don’t neglect the table. Create a beautiful green flower arrangement to use as a centerpiece or decorate with potted shamrocks. If you want to decorate around a theme, you can stick with the classics of four-leaf clovers, leprechauns and rainbows, or do something a little more unique like an environmental theme. Make it a “green” party with reusable or compostable dinnerware.

Games

Get your guests into the spirit with games, such as Shamrock bingo, or create clues for a scavenger hunt with a pot of gold (chocolate “golden” coins) as the prize. Another option is to create your own version of traditional Irish games including rings or darts. If you’re up to speed on Irish history, set up a trivia night based on all things Irish. You can also do a St. Patrick’s Day version of traditional party games like charades by including only Irish-themed clues. Don’t forget prizes for the lucky winners!

Celebrate Irish culture

Bring the spirit of Ireland into your home by creating a playlist of Irish music. You can stick with the classic sound of traditional Irish ballads, or use this opportunity to discover these new and upcoming Irish musicians featured on Mashable. To make the music a little more interactive, do karaoke with classics like Danny Boy. Even if you don’t have a karaoke machine, print lyrics so guests can sing along. Another idea for bringing the sights and sounds of Ireland to your living room is to have an Irish movie marathon. Or, if you feel like hitting the town, check out what’s going on where you live to see if you can catch a live music or dance performance.

Get creative

Crafting isn’t just for kids, especially when it comes to holidays. Have guests make cute paper Leprechaun hats, which serve double duty as a fun accessory. Grab some green Mardi Gras beads and any other green or rainbow accessories, along with some St. Patrick’s Day-themed props, and set up a photo booth. You can also set a theme and ask guests to come dressed up (complete with costume contest!). For a more traditional craft, guests can make foldable Celtic knots with gold foil paper.

Eat like the Irish

Food is another easy way to feel like you’ve stepped into Ireland. Serve traditional dishes like soda bread, corned beef, and shepherd’s pie, and finish off the meal with a rich chocolate stout cake from Bon Appetit. Another fun idea is to go with an all green food theme. If you’re celebrating with friends who live close by, plan a twist on the traditional pub crawl. Instead of hitting the pub though, start at one person’s house for appetizers, move on to the next for the main course and on, until everyone is full or ready for bed!

With delicious food, rich culture and decorations of bright spring green and rainbows, St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect opportunity to lift the winter doldrums and celebrate all things green. You can dig into Irish tradition, go with a more modern theme or some combination of the two. Whatever you choose, use these ideas to create your own luck this St. Patrick’s Day.