You Asked, We Answered: Do You Give Gifts for St. Patrick’s Day? 🤔

You Don’t Need the Luck of the Irish on Your Side to Send Someone You Care About a Great St. Paddy’s Day Gift – Here’s How

When you think of St. Patrick’s Day in the good ‘ol US of A, a flood of images spring to mind: four leaf clovers, Irish flags, fiery-haired leprechauns guarding overflowing pots of gold, city waterways going green, parade floats, pub crawls… towns all over the nation have their own unique ways of celebrating. But when it comes to planning your own St. Patrick’s Day festivities, should giving gifts be part of the occasion?

Gift-giving is a central part of many holidays and special occasions – and though it may seem surprising, St. Patrick’s Day is actually one of them!

In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about the tradition of giving gifts for St. Patrick’s Day, including:

  • Why giving gifts is a traditional part of St. Patrick’s Day (Hint: it goes back over 1000 years!)
  • Some fun St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland-themed gifts perfect for all of your loved ones
  • And we’ll even touch on some interesting Irish history and folklore along the way – so get ready for lucky pennies, celtic knots, and more!

The History of Giving Gifts for St. Patrick’s Day

St. Paddy’s as we know it today sprang from the traditional Catholic celebration of St. Patrick’s feast day. The patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick is celebrated for bringing the gift of Christianity to the Irish people over 1500 years ago. In fact, the shamrock is associated with the holiday because it’s said that St. Patrick often used the common 3-leaf variety as a teaching tool to explain the divine mystery of the Holy Trinity.  

Even though St. Patrick’s Day falls during the Christian observance of Lent – during which drinking alcohol and eating meat is generally prohibited – the Irish people would attend mass in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. By modern standards, traditional St. Patrick’s Feast Day celebrations would not seem that celebratory at all – it wasn’t until St. Patrick’s Day hopped across the pond that it turned into the largely secular party we know today.

Feast day festivities typically involved food (traditional corned beef and cabbage remains a favorite even now), and perhaps some music and dancing. Small gifts were also exchanged during some celebrations – a reminder of St. Patrick’s gift to his homeland.

Today these St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have obviously expanded to include rainbows, green beer, minty milkshakes, and much, much more, but the underlying spirit – coming together with loved ones and celebrating your blessings – has remained the same. That’s why even though the St. Patrick’s Day we know today is very different from its religious origins, giving gifts is still an appropriate way to celebrate.

But what, exactly, makes for a good St. Patrick’s day gift? We’ve got you covered – whether you’re looking for a $5 way to show a friend you’re thinking of them or an elegant way to honor an older family member’s connection to their home country, we’ve pulled together an awesome list of St. Patrick’s Day gift ideas that are sure to impress.

So without further ado, let’s get to it! 🍀

1. Pub Gift Card

Treat Someone You Love to Their First Round at the Pub

Text your buddy a beer with GiftYa

For anyone over the age of 21, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the best occasions of the year to head out to the pub with some friends. That’s why if you’re looking for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day gift, texting a beer is a great way to get the celebration going.

How does texting a beer gift card work, exactly? Glad you asked. Sending digital gift cards to thousands of local and national brands takes just seconds with GiftYa. Simply search for your favorite local pub or beer distributor, customize your gift, and off it goes.

The digital gift card balance can be used from the GiftYa app or attached to one of the cards they carry with them every day anyway and automatically applied to their purchases. That means with GiftYa, there’s one less piece of festive green plastic to try to keep track of as you check out your city’s St. Paddy’s celebration. Check out the link below to explore which of your favorite bars, pubs, and breweries are participating – and to learn more about how GiftYa works.

Text your buddy a beer with GiftYa

💚 Bonus Points: Help make sure your favorite people make it home safe when you text them an Uber gift card or Lyft gift card to use when the party is through for the night.

2. Wee Bit ‘O Luck

Whether It’s a Four-Leaf Clover or Shiny New Penny, a Little Luck Goes a Long Way on St. Paddy’s Day

Anyone who attended an American elementary school is probably familiar with some version of the classic rhyme: Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck! In Ireland, the tradition of luck money runs a bit deeper than the serendipity of finding some spare change on the pavement. In fact, it was common for people to keep luck money with them wherever they went.

Luck money also continues to play a role in important life milestones for Irish and Irish-American people. When people buy a new home, have a child, or hit any other number of milestones, they are often gifted pennies by loved ones to bring them luck in the new chapter of their life.

So if you find a lucky penny – or perhaps sift through your pockets to find one printed in a year that’s significant to you and the person you’re giving a gift to – it can make the perfect St. Patrick’s Day gift. Along those same lines, if you’re fortunate enough to happen upon a four-leaf clover or have an old horseshoe lying around, you can consider making a lucky gift of those as well.

3. Irish-Inspired Home Goods

Tea Towels and Blankets and Desk Lamps, Oh My!

For some people, St. Patrick’s Day begins and ends on March 17th. For others, the entire month becomes a celebration of Ireland’s cultural traditions and beautiful emerald countryside. Whether you’re shopping for someone who goes all out on St. Paddy’s Day or someone who keeps things a little more lowkey, a few subtle touches of shamrock decor can wake up any home or apartment with the first hints of green after the winter decorations have come down.

Consider getting a loved one a gift that brings the spirit of Ireland home – there are plenty of options available, but we’ve picked out a few to help get you started:

Shamrock-inspired St. Patrick's Day gifts

Don’t see anything that tickles your fancy? You can also text a Home Goods gift card so that they can stock up on St. Patrick’s Day decor or refresh their home for any season.

4. Shamrock Rosary

Celebrate the Religious Origins of the Holiday with This Thoughtful, Traditional Token

Shamrock rosary gift for St. Patrick's Day
Image courtesy of Etsy shop listing.

Lots of St. Patrick’s Day ornaments are designed to be discarded, but not this beautiful Celtic Knotted Rosary by ShellsRosaryRopes on Etsy. Representing the cycle of life/death/rebirth, celtic knots are used to symbolize unbreakable love, happiness, and connection. Celtic love knots were even an important part of traditional Irish marriage ceremonies, swapped between spouses to symbolize the connecting of their lives.

This handcrafted rosary uses celtic knots in place of stones or beads, making it a unique and meaningful gift for any loved one who appreciates the religious roots of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday in addition to the parades and pop culture celebrations.

Click here to shop

5. Golf Gear

Gift Them an Evening Playing Ireland’s Iconic Sport

Irish golf balls
Image courtesy of Irish Gift House.

Although golf is said to have originated in Ireland’s Celtic sister nation Scotland, golf is an extremely popular pastime in Ireland as well, and Ireland is a world-renowned destination for golfers. While a plane ticket to one of Ireland’s stunning championship greens might be a bit out of budget for a last minute St. Paddy’s Day gift, some Ireland-inspired golf gear could be a real crowd-pleaser.

Take your golf-themed gift to the next level when you throw in a digital Top Golf gift card. With 70+ locations around the country, the golfer in your life will have a great time practicing their swing at one of their tech-enhanced driving ranges.

6. Go Guiness

Try a St. Paddy’s Day Gift Inspired by Ireland’s Most Iconic Beer

Guiness glass gift set
Image courtesy of Guinness website.

For those hitting the St. Patrick’s Day pub scene, sipping a pint of Guinness is a must. The beer has been brewed in St. James's Gate since the 1700s, when founder Arthur Guiness signed a 9,000 year lease for the property, believing (correctly) that his beer exporting business would become one of the most successful in the world. The brand’s inextricable link to the history and future of Ireland is why Guiness and Guiness gear is such a big part of many cities’ St. Paddy’s parties.

The Guinness Ireland Label gift set makes a great St. Patrick’s Day present, but you can’t really go wrong with any of the merchandise on the site. From Guinness hoodies to collabs with Irish affiliated colleges, there’s sure to be something for every beer lover on your list.

7. Irish Authors

Send Them to the Emerald Isle Without Ever Leaving the Living Room

The “Emerald Island” didn’t get its nickname by accident – it’s well-known to be a dazzling destination that sits high on many travelers’ lists of dream vacations. With rolling green hills, miles of dramatic coastline, breathtaking waterfalls, and famous rock formations, Ireland is abound with natural beauty. And all of that is before you even consider the nation’s fascinating history and people.

Luckily for anyone with a tight budget or an aversion to transatlantic air travel, you don’t have to book a trip to the Land of Saints and Scholars in order to immerse yourself in the Irish world. There are countless books on Irish History, travel guides to Ireland, contemporary literary works, and literary masterpieces by Irish writers.

For bookish friends and family, an interesting copy of James Joyce’s Dubliners or simply a coffee table book with photo spreads of Ireland’s beautiful landscape would make an excellent gift for St. Patrick’s Day or any time or year.

Not sure exactly what their reading style is? You can always text a Barnes & Noble gift card and let them choose the next addition to their collection themself.

There you have it – a crash course in giving gifts for St. Patrick’s Day!

While our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations look very different today than they have over the last several centuries, giving gifts remains a great way to show those you’re celebrating with that you care about them. From lucky pennies to celtic knots, we’ve covered plenty of gift ideas inspired by Irish culture and traditions – as well as a few more modern options.

Don’t forget, if you want to treat a friend to the next round during your St. Patrick’s Day celebration – or they still need a little coaxing to join in on the fun – you can find and text them a pub gift card or a rideshare gift card to get them home from the bars in just a few clicks with GiftYa.

From all of us here at GiftYa, have a safe and lucky St. Patrick’s Day!

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Trae Bodge

Trae Bodge is the shopping expert here at GiftYa. Trae helps people find the best deals and ideas on popular new items to purchase.

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