You don't have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. By March 17, everyone will be tired of winter, yearning for spring and looking for a good excuse to have some fun. So why not host a themed party, complete with music, decorations and great food?

To set a festive mood, ask guests to come in green-colored attire. Buy shamrock pins or have clusters of real shamrocks ready for guests to pin on their lapels when they arrive. Or see if your florist sells shamrock "boutonniéres," bunches of shamrocks in small plastic vials with a pin attached, that you can give each guest.

Plan an Irish Menu

Food is foremost so plan a menu that's authentically Irish, but probably surprising to most Americans. There'll be no corned beef and cabbage at this table. As people from Ireland will tell you, corned beef and cabbage is an Irish-American invention.

Instead, do as the Irish in Ireland do. St. Patrick's Day is observed by going to church and most likely, having a pub lunch. You can begin with an appetizer selection of Irish cheeses, using these tips for assembling a cheese tray. For some great cheese suggestions pick from authentic Irish cheeses like Kerrygold Dubliner, Blarney Castle, Cheddar, Red Leicester and Ivernia. These tasty cheeses are found conveniently in supermarkets and specialty stores throughout the United States. Serve your cheeses Irish style, with bread or crackers and accompaniments of chutney, toasted nuts and fresh or dried fruits.

If you're having a luncheon party, make your main course Dubliner Irish Pub Salad (look under lighter fare in our cookbook). Add a platter of smoked salmon, brown bread and Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter and you'll have a delightfully easy, authentic and delectable Irish feast.

If yours is a dinner party, serve Broiled Salmon with Capers and Raisin Butter (look under main dishes in our cookbook), a dish created by Chef Paul Flynn, whose Tannery restaurant in Dungarvan, County Waterford, is known for fabulous fare. The best part is the Raisin Butter sauce, which is easy to make and so delicious, using Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter.

Kids will love their own menu of grilled cheese sandwiches - and especially the Irish name for them, "toasties!" Kerrygold Cheddar, Dubliner or Blarney Castle cheeses are excellent grilled cheese choices.

In Ireland, dessert is an extra-special treat on St. Patrick's Day because it's common for kids and adults to choose sweets as the thing they will give up during Lent. An exception is made for St. Patrick's Day. Try Rustic Raspberry Tart with Kerrygold Butter crust (look under desserts in our cookbook) for a dessert that's easy and scrumptious. To be more authentically Irish, you can substitute apples for the raspberries, since apple tart is a favorite sweet. Use golden delicious apples, peeled and sliced into thin wedges.

When writing up your shopping list, be sure to specify butter and cheeses imported from Ireland. The ones from Kerrygold are made with milk from cows free of growth hormones that eat from the pure green pastures of the Emerald Isle. The beta-carotene in the grass turns the butter and cheeses a natural gold. Milk for Kerrygold dairy products comes from cooperatives of small family farmers.

	Décor and Music Set the Mood Now that you've decided on the food, plan the décor. Use bright green napkins to add color to your table or add a green runner. Stop at the plant store or florist to buy little pots of shamrocks for a centerpiece. Or decorate with pots of baby daffodils. These bright yellow beauties are seen in Ireland in profusion this time of the year and are a cheerful reminder of spring. Music sets the mood so be sure to borrow or buy some rousing Irish CDs. Rev up the energy and set toes tapping with music by the Chieftans, the Dubliners or the Pogues. If you want live music, check out a few pubs where musicians play together informally. You might find one or two amateurs who would provide entertainment inexpensively.
	More Irish Fun Good food, decorations and music are all it takes for a successful St. Patrick's Day party. But for more, add any of these activities. Irish Beer and Cheese Tasting Pairing cheese with beer instead of with wine is a hot trend. Have a beer and cheese tasting using these tips on pairing. Be sure you have a good supply of Irish stout like Guinness and Murphy's, Harp lager and Smithwick's ale, as well as some American beer like Sam Adams Irish Red and Irish hard cider, such as Magners.
	Irish Film Festival Rent an Irish movie and pass the popcorn. Sprinkle hot, freshly popped popcorn with finely grated Kerrygold Dubliner, Cheddar or Blarney Castle cheese and toss to coat. Or toss hot popcorn with Kerrygold Garlic & Herb butter. Yum! Try these Irish movie choices: The Commitments, the 1991 film about a working class soul band from Dublin; The Quiet Man, John Ford's 1952 movie featuring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara; Once, a 2007 Sundance-award-winning Irish musical; or any Riverdance DVD - select from several different performances from the dance company that first took America by storm in 1996.
	Party Activity for Kids Kids will enjoy making pins to wear for St. Patrick's Day. Provide the craft supplies and set up a table where kids can work. For a shamrock pin, cut out shamrock shapes from green felt and have kids glue on gold-colored buttons. Attach to clothes with a safety pin. Or make a tricolor pin by having kids glue ribbon or felt in strips (green, white and orange) onto a small cardboard square and adding a paper harp, the symbol of Ireland. Finally, glue a pin back (found in crafts stores) to the cardboard side. St. Patrick's Day is the perfect time to gather friends to celebrate spring. Just follow our simple tips and let the party begin!