St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, Modern Philosophers, so I wanted to share some dating tips for those of you hoping to make Irish eyes smile that night.
Keep in mind, I am half Irish and used to date a beautiful young lady from Dublin, so giving advice on this topic should be right up my alley.
Then again, I am hopelessly single, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
Dating is hard, and any advice is helpful, so don’t shake a shillelagh at what I’m offering until you try it.
Some tips on how to approach dating on St. Patrick’s Day…
Don’t wear green. Yes, you read that correctly. Don’t wear green on a St. Patrick’s Day date. Everyone else will be wearing the color, so this will make you stand out. It will definitely catch your date’s attention and be a conversation starter. Nothing kills a first date faster than a failure to communicate, so bringing an icebreaker to the table in the form of your wardrobe choice is a genius idea. Plus, tradition states that she has to pinch you for not wearing green on the holiday. Who knows where a simple pinch might lead?
Try pushing a new button. Don’t be the lame dude who wears a Kiss Me I’m Irish button on a date.
That’s as predictable as wearing green and bringing her corned beef and cabbage rather than flowers.
If you want a kiss, you need to earn it. Pins are a fun St. Patrick’s Day tradition, though, so why not come up with something creative to show your date that you’re witty and can think outside of the Kiss Me box?
How about these pin ideas: Tell Me About Your Irish Heritage, St. Patrick Is My Wing Man, or I’m A Great Listener?
Just be different and the Luck of the Irish might be with you, my friend.
McDonald’s is not Irish food. Don’t take your date for fast food on St. Patrick’s Day if you want to have a second date.
Sure, McDonald’s is an Irish name. Yes, they have Shamrock Shakes. Of course, french fries as the most delicious form of the most consistent staple of the Irish diet.
If there’s a dollar menu or an item that offers a toy as part of the meal, you are not in the proper establishment for a date on this holiest of Irish holidays. St. Patrick himself is going to come down and drive you out from under the golden arches like you are a snake in Ireland.
You don’t need to make reservations as the fanciest place in town, but any place that accepts reservations would be an excellent choice. Bonus points if honored members of the staff are not a clown, a burglar of hamburgers, and an enormous purple blob that no one can identify, but will haunt your nightmares for years.
Pick Dropkick Murphys over U2. I am a huge U2 fan, have seen them twice in concert, and consider them one of the best bands of all time.
But if you need to pick music for a St. Patrick’s Day date, go with Dropkick Murphys because that’s the band your date thinks she wants to hear.
In her mind, bad boys are more attractive. She wants bad ass over preachy.
Down the line, of course, your date will realize she prefers the long term excellence and dependence U2 has to offer. But at the moment, she’s got tunnel vision, so pick the band that will make you look better in her eyes.
Carry a potato. The Sweet Irish Girl confirmed that potatoes are a very important part of the Irish menu, and not just a stereotype. We had them with every meal we prepared together when she was at The House on the Hill. Why not bring one along and pull it out at some random moment on a date? The spud would be a great conversation starter, and better yet, it would help in case of the dreaded dating emergency…absolute silence.
Plus, it makes a yummy snack and can be prepared in any number of ways!
Treat it like any other day of the year. As I pointed out earlier, dating is hard. Don’t make it any more difficult by putting added pressure on the event just because it’s March 17th.
Of course, if you believe in the Luck of the Irish, then feel free to think that St. Patrick is smiling down on you and your date.
Best of luck to those of you looking for that special someone on St. Patrick’s Day. I hope these tips come in handy.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Modern Philosophers!
The Return of the Modern Philosopher 
My husband is half Irish and his birthday is on St Patrick’s day! I don’t know why I shared that useless information 🙂 My favourite tip is the one about carrying a potato – if somebody came up to me with a potato I would be most touched. A potato is a wonderful gift!
The Sweet Irish Girl loved to point out that I wasn’t actually half Irish. I simply had Irish heritage and she was the one who was Irish. I’ll be packing a potato this Paddy’s Day for sure…
Oh, the Irish! They are wonderfully friendly folk, so I am sure if you told them you had Irish heritage they would welcome you like an old friend! You know, on the roads, they wave at you if you stop to let them pass? Happy potato-ing! 🙂
You’re a genius…
Wait. You’re telling the guy who can’t get a date that he’s a genius for his dating tips post? 🙂
Sure!
I bet even Einstein struck out a few times, and I heard he had a huge… frontal lobe.
I bet you say that to all the Modern Philosophers. 🙂
Said on the upcoming Saturday holiday: Is that a potato in your pocket or … I see, you’re following Austin’s St. Patrick’s Day dating tips!
I dated a very Irish woman in college who always kept a full bag of potatoes in her closet on advice from her father, in case of dining hall emergencies or the big upstate blizzard or such.
Can’t go wrong with a pocket potato. 🙂
This one had me smiling! “I am hopelessly single, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt.” – Yeah, this is literally me! Good luck my friend! 😉
I’m glad that line made you smile. Thanks for following the blog, and I hope my dating advice helps more than it harms. 🙂
As usual Austin you made me laugh. I appreciate your thoughts & modern day musings . Plus, you run so it’s a win!!
Glad you liked it!