Saint Patrick’s Day is quickly coming up – March 17th, so if you haven’t made plans there’s still time to green up your activities…

For some easy general ideas read:

• Green Your St. Patrick’s Day Party
• St. Patrick’s Day Blog Carnival
• Learn how to turn your organic brew green (yes the color green). Oooo festive.
• If you’re really advantageous, you can always recycle your beer cans into butterflies

If you’re specifically looking for information on greener brew to drink on the big day you can do one of the following:

Check your local yellow pages (or online) for a green pub near you. You’d be surprised how many organic and natural breweries are popping up. Three places I’ve lived have had one or two green pubs.

Look at the market for local organic beer. Even if your town is sans a totally organic brew pub, there’s a good chance that one or two local breweries still make and sell organic beer and wine.

There are some national brands as well. Some ideas…

• Green Beer for St. Patrick’s Day – ideas from the Sierra Club.
• All sorts of green alcohol companies from Co-op America.
• Organic Beverages for Your Green Wedding – ok yeah, for a wedding, but LOTS O’ ideas.
• Serve organic beer and organic mixers only.

What are you planning for St. Paddy’s Day?

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• Skip diamonds (for the most part) and give eco-friendly jewelry instead.
• Serve organic treats, wine, and champagne.
• Give organic flowers.
• Green that night o’ love and recycle your unmentionables.
• Get sexy and stay green.
• Make your own cards – more special than store bought and you can reuse supplies you’ve got around the house. Or be sure to buy Valentine’s Day cards made with recycled materials.
• For romance light organic soy or beeswax candles.

Looking for kid specific green Valentine’s Day ideas?

Coming up I’ve got some specific examples of the ideas above.

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If you’re holding a New Year’s event, there’s still time to make it green.

1. Send e-mail invites.
2. Serve organic beer, organic mixers, organic champagne,  and organic wine. See a big ol’ article about organic alcohol.
3. If you must use disposables plates or napkins for snacks, make sure that they’re biodegradable and or recycled.
4. Skip fancy purchased decor – or make your own recycled decor items. No one is going to notice the decorations much anyhow.
5. Serve organic treats and food (you know, to sop up the alcohol).
6. Skip the fireworks – they’re not very green.
7. Go all out with a super eco-chic party.
8. Forget the party – head to New York for a sustainable New Year’s Eve at Times Square.

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Here are some organic wine companies. Although, I’m not a wine expert – so knowing which the best are is not my bag. If you’re looking to ask a question about a wine you can visit Behind The Vines.

Other resources include:

• A nice F&Q about organic wine from the Organic Wine Company. Of course, they also sell wine.
• Clearing up the Confusion about Organic Wine
• Frey Vineyards
• Organic Wine Journal

Of course organic champagne, spritzers, beer and other organic drinks will work as well. Resources for these sorts of beverages include…

• Organic Bubbly
• The romance of organic Champagne
• Organic Beer and Wine
• Get the Organic Buzz
• Santa Cruz Organic – juices, spritzers, sparkling beverages, and sodas

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

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Here are a few tips to help green your St. Patrick’s Day party:

•Choose organic beer. It not only tastes better, but it saves wildlife like fish and birds. According to Cornell University studies, pesticide spayed on fields kills several million birds and fish each year. Try Peak Organic or Wolaver’s Organic Ales. And buy from a local brewer if possible to help cut carbon emissions.

•And, of course, recycle used beer bottles or cans. Set out a recycling bin for that purpose. Make it part of your “green” theme. If you’re buying a lot of beer, (I can’t believe I’m saying this) get a keg. I’ve never actually bought one, and have no idea if you can get organic beer in a keg, maybe?

•Don’t use disposables. If you don’t have enough plates or glasses, rent them. Businesses like Classic Party Rentals are almost everywhere. If you must go with disposables, avoid Styrofoam. Choose corn-based biodegradable plates, cups and forks. Give EarthShell products a whirl.

•Send an evite instead of a paper invitation. Well, maybe people don’t really send paper St. Patty’s Day invites. I’ve never gotten one, but it’s possible. evite has 11 cool St. Patrick’s Day invitations to choose from.

There you have it — tips on how to green your St. Patrick’s Day party from someone who doesn’t party! I think the tips are still good.

Do you have any favorite green recipes for party food?

Don’t forget to check out Jennifer’s post on the great BabyBam Collection Organic Baby Supplies contest going on now at Tree Hugging Family.

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