When it comes to being sober, keeping drink-free when everyone else around you is boozing up can sometimes be tricky. But it can be especially difficult on the “big” drinking holidays of the year — like New Year’s Eve, the fourth of July, and of course, St. Patrick’s Day when everyone seems to be guzzling green beer.
With the overflow of green beer, people stumbling into bars, and the general revelry of this holiday, you might think that it is best to stay home and huddle under a blanket. And, hey, there’s definitely nothing wrong with that. BUT if you don’t want to stay in, that’s okay, too. In honor of celebrating Irish culture and generally having a good time on St. Patty’s, we asked our Instagram audience what they planned to do this year to avoid drinking. And, as usual, you had great answers to share! (P.S. You should also sign up for the Tempest newsletter because we’ll be sharing even MORE great tips this weekend.)
- Planning to stay home, eat the last of my Thin Mints, and avoid social media if I feel triggered.
- Drink a green juice!
- Sending my daughter to a theater workshop instead of the paraded.
- Making traditional corned beef and cabbage soup.
- Traveling out of the country.
- I’ll be staying home on St. Patty’s Day, off of Snapchat, and avoiding FOMO.
- Going to the gym.
- Making brisket for friends.
- It’s my son’s third birthday so we’re having a kid’s party with non-drinking family.
- Going on a sober vacation with my husband.
- Doing crafts with my kids.
- Looking at the people who are staggering drunk and feeling grateful that I don’t look like that.
- Staying home with my family and watching cheesy Netflix movies.
- I’m excited to drink a Shamrock Shake!
- Chilling at home with homemade ginger ale.
- Working. This used to be a huge blackout day for me because I’m 0.00075% Irish.
- Staying away from bars and celebrating my sobriety!
- Staying out of the bars and cooking some corned beef at home.
- I will be at Bridge Club.
- Making non-drinking plans with my friends.
- Going out of town for a day.
- I love Irish music, so that’s buzz enough for me.
- Having some soda and bitters!
- Fearing on homemade corned beef and potatoes.
- Listening to The Pogues.
- Staying home with a good book.
- Making a corned beef and cabbage for my family.
- Starting the day by celebrating eight years of sobriety.
- Doing some self-care instead, like a face mask, doing my nails, and then drinking tea.
- Baking Irish soda bread with warm butter.
There’s definitely no right or wrong way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without green beer. And, as our Instagram audience has proven, it’s not too hard either. So whether you’re planning to stay in and spend some time with family, cooking a delicious Irish meal for your friends, reading a good book, going to the gym, or simply avoiding the bars, you definitely CAN stay sober on this popular drinking holiday. And, best of all, you can do it by also having tons of St. Patty’s Day fun!
