Particularly truffles.

Which is why I actually had a physical reaction when I read about this truffles tasting event. It was a shiver – a shiver of jealousy, because I can’t go!

So, if you’re in the area, the country or even on the same continent, know you have my envy. Go. Eat Chocolate. Think of me.

http://rococochocolates.com/blog/sprin-collection-chocolate-tasting-event/comment-page-1/#comment-279

Saint Patrick was the patron saint of Ireland – at least, the most famous patron saint of Ireland. There is also Brigid of Kildare (whose feast day is on February 1st) and Saint Columba (feast day June 9th). So the obvious question is, if there are actually 3 patron saints of Ireland, why does Saint Patrick get all the attention, not to mention the drinking in his name?

As most celebrations in our modern world, it comes back to the church. Naturally, Saint Patrick was made a saint by the Catholic Church. Saint Patrick’s Day was only celebrated as a religious holiday at first, until 1903 when it became a public holiday. Hurrah! Now every Irishman, atheist and devout alike could have a nice day in the Patron Saint’s name. For this, we thank a guy named O’Mara (fitting), but he wasn’t celebrated for long. In the same breath as he declared a public holiday in Saint Patrick’s name, he also declared that all pubs were to be closed on March 17th.

BOOOOOOOOO!

This insanity went on until 1970, when the decision was revoked and Irishmen and women could drink at their locals once again! Thus began the decline of the “religious” observance of Saint Patrick’s day, even though it is still to this day observed as a religious holiday in the Catholic Church.

That’s all interesting, but how the hell did we end up wearing green, pinching one another and drinking our faces off?!

Believe it or not, it didn’t really happen until the 1990’s, when some smart marketer decided that Saint Patrick’s day would be tied into Ireland’s national identity. The first official Saint Patrick’s Day celebration in Ireland wasn’t held until 1996.

1996!!!!!!!!!!!

So why do we celebrate it? Actually, in Canada it has been celebrated unofficially since 1759 thanks to some Irish soldiers in a Montreal garrison. I’m assuming they started celebrating and the Canucks thought it was so much fun that one thing led to another and voila! Canadians and Irish, slobbering drunk together. Kindred spirits are united.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Leafs used to be the Toronto Saint Patricks. Why? No clue. (If you know, email me at mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com)

What’s up with the shamrock and the green clothes, beer and rivers?!

Saint Patrick is said to have used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish. Green is worn and used to represent this. The pinching? Well, maybe we just want an excuse to inflict pain on party-pooper friends and random strangers.

But why Saint Patrick? Why not our friend Brigid or Saint Columba?

Saint Columba looked like a pretty cool dude, but he was also a number of other things, including the Apostle of the Picts (who were either killed or converted before the vast majority of their fascinating culture could be shared, so a lot of their symbols, including the one tattooed on my back, are still a mystery). Perhaps pulling double duty prevented him from getting him his own worldwide drinking day – Jack of All Trades and all that…

Brigid of Kildare was associated with virginity – not exactly in line with the typical Saint Patrick’s day celebrateur’s intentions. We can only assume that’s what took her out of the running.

Some sources say that Saint Patrick banished snakes from Ireland (although rumour has it that some remain, disguised as cellular phone agents), others credit him with bringing Christianity to the Irish. And he did, of course, show them a shamrock to illustrate the confusing “Holy Trinity” thing… (Bono, if you ever want your own day, you’d better start taking notes, pal).

So, why do we celebrate the way we do? It’s all thanks to a very smart marketer, some drunken Irish soldiers in Canada and the fact that Ireland is, supposedly, snake-free. Is that enough of an excuse for you? Yeah, me too. So drink your green beer and pin on your shamrock – or you’re gonna get pinched – it’s the Irish thing to do.

Having a Saint Patrick’s Day party? You don’t need some “Blarney O’Malley Kicks The Bucket” murder mystery game. Most of our mysteries can be set for a Saint Patrick’s Day party game, either by creating that setting or having us personalize a game for you. ANY game on our site can be tweaked for your party, just give us a shout! mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

From the sites I browsed, I only found one other murder mystery games company that writes custom mystery games – and their website said they charged (BRACE YOURSELF) $600-$6000 per game! WHAT?! I almost hit the floor. No wonder people are so surprised when they find out we write custom games regularly, and that they are actually quite affordable.

My research also unveiled that no other games company offers personalized games – not one other site. I was delighted, of course – I love that Shot In The Dark Mysteries is very unique and customer satisfaction-oriented, but I was still a little shocked.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bragging (although I do believe we are the best and most unique option for murder mystery and family-friendly games on the ‘net). I bring this up because it made it even more important for me to write about custom and personalized mystery games. Since they’re not a mainstream thing amongst many party game companies, it may not even occur to hosts and hostesses that a custom or personalized mystery may even be an option!

So, first let’s answer the obvious questions. What’s a custom mystery, what’s a personalized mystery and WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

CUSTOM MYSTERY: A custom mystery is written from scratch, completely personalized for your party, situation, venue and, if applicable, your guest of honour. We write the game around your inside jokes and the information you provide us about the event.

PERSONALIZED MYSTERY: A personalized mystery works like this: you pick an existing game off the website. We tweak it to suit your party, and include some fun inside jokes and or/ jabs at people on your guest list as well.

WHAT DO CUSTOM AND PERSONALIZED MYSTERIES COST?

CUSTOM MYSTERY: $486 US for 8-12 suspects (each additional suspect costs an extra $25).

PERSONALIZED MYSTERY:$231.99 for any game on the website (adding additional characters is $25 per character).

That’s it! Easy, no hidden fees and no wondering how much you’ll have to pay.

HOW DOES A CUSTOM MYSTERY WORK?

Creating a custom mystery for your party is a super-fun process (yeah, I used the word super-fun, but you would too if you knew how much fun it is), not just for us but for those hosting the party as well. We begin with a brief questionaire that gives us some more information about your event and those you would like to have as your suspects. Based on your answers, we will come back and ask you further questions, some of which may seem a little odd, but all is always revealed when the game is played. We will also help you decide upon a theme if you don’t already have one and are very open to phone consultations. We want you to be comfortable with the custom mystery process, and know that we are creating THE game that will knock everyone’s socks off. Every custom game process is different, but that is an overview of how it works. We work very closely with you to make sure it’s perfect, and when you receive your game kit, all you have to do is read the instructions and play. It will be the easiest part of your party!

HOW DOES A PERSONALIZED MYSTERY GAME WORK?

The game personalization process is very similar to that of a custom game, with one very big exception: first you choose either a murder mystery game or a family-friendly mystery game, and instead of clicking the “buy now” option, you instead choose “personalize this game”. With payment you receive a questionaire immediately, which you then fill out and send back to us. There the process begins just as with a custom mystery! How easy is that?

So hopefully that clears things up for you a bit – let us create a game for your next event that will be impossible to beat – something that people will rave about for years to come. It will be one of the best decisions you ever make.

VISIT THE MURDER MYSTERY GAMES PAGE

VISIT THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY MYSTERY GAMES PAGE

VISIT THE CUSTOM GAMES NOOK

You can read the rest of this series at the following links:

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Article

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Video

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Article

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Video

Part 3: The Lush Article

Part 3: The Lush Video

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Article

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Video

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Article

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Video

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Article

Read the rest of this series at the following links:

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Article

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Video

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Article

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Video

Part 3: The Lush Article

Part 3: The Lush Video

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Article

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Video

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Article

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Article

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Video

This is the final article in our six-part series entitled, “When Good Guests Go Bad”. Today we look at the “Destructo-Guest”.

If you’ve never had to deal with a destructo-guest, you’re lucky! The destructo-guest is careless in their everyday life, and brings that carelessness into your home when you entertain. This guest moves around a bit like a hurricane, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. When one first looks at the destructo-guest, it’s hard to determine exactly what they do to cause wine spills and heirloom breakages – some people would define the destructo-guest as “clutzy” or “unlucky”, but it all comes down to slight to severe carelessness.

So, what can we, as polite hosts on the run, do about the destructo-guest while keeping our grace and poise (not to mention our tempers!)? Here are a few ideas to keep your valuables safe when the destructo-guest sweeps through your party.

1) Don’t Invite Them
As with most of our Good Guests Gone Bad, one way to avoid the issue is by simply not inviting the destructo-guest. In many cases, especially family settings, this is not possible. If you can’t get out of having them there, though, read on!

2) Don’t waste your breath
Unlike the rest of our Good Guests Gone Bad, a simple word usually won’t straighten out the destructo-guest. This is because their problem stems from carelessness to begin with, and although they may seem to heed your words, their habit is so engrained it can not be changed overnight. Talking to the destructo-guest will only hurt their feelings, and probably won’t solve the problem anyhow. Instead, you need to prepare!

3) Hide the valuables
Yes, it is one of the best ways that you can protect the things you really love from your hurricane guest. Put them in an off-limits room or high up on a shelf where they can not be touched.

4) Insist on taking the destructo-guest’s jacket or sweater
A jacket or large sweater is the destructo-guest’s worst accomplice! An off-balance turn with baggy clothes mean your baby orchids are flying off the edge of the table. Insist if they at first decline, and if that doesn’t work, turn the heat up until they get warm enough to have to take their sweater off! (Then turn it back down for the comfort of your other guests).

5) Employ your Crisis Companion
We talk a lot about using your crisis companion, and this is a perfect moment to put them to good use. Your crisis companion knows the score, and is with you on every page of your party. This could be a spouse or a good friend you trust not to divulge your secret hosting tips to anyone else. Inform your CC that the destructo-guest will be attending, and to keep an eye on them. If they are reaching out for something expensive or about to step on your dog, they can intervene.
6) Get them seated immediately
Once you greet the destructo-guest at the door, try to get them seated as soon as you can. The less the destructo-guest moves around, the better chance your china has of making it through the evening! Invite another guest who shares their interests to come and sit with the two of you. Once their conversation is running, politely excuse yourself. If the destructo-guest gets up, repeat the procedure until they are so engrossed in conversation that they have no desire to get up and move around. You can only do this for so long, but with the destructo-guest, the less they move around, the better.

7) Keep your cool
If the destructo-guest does happen to back into your centuries old china cabinet, bumping your great, great, great grandmother’s tea kettle, the tea set and your antique crystal onto the hardwood floor, try to keep your cool. The personality of the destructo-guest makes it easy to get angry with them, and they will probably be too mortified to defend themselves. If you are ready to blow, take a minute and let your CC handle damage control.

You can read or watch the rest of this series at these links:

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Article

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Video

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Article

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Video

Part 3: The Lush Article

Part 3: The Lush Video

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Article

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Video

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Article

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Video

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Video

A prime example of The Can’t Be Wrong scenario comes from a good friend of mine, who entertains with her family often. Her brother’s wife and her husband are both very opinionated people. The like rival sports teams, have completely opposite political views on everything from mayoral elections to environmental issues – the sister-in-law has even expressed a hatred toward the family’s small home town. Tricky!

The sad truth is that not everyone has the common ability to sense when a topic of conversation is about to tread on dangerous ground, or when they are discussing something with more meaning than mere conversation to the other person in the conversation. This does not mean the “Can’t Be Wrong” is a bad person – in fact, it’s probably the opposite – they are usually very caring and nice, except when their conversations stumble onto certain topics. The most common topics for The Can’t Be Wrong to bring up, and relentlessly continue are:

Politics
Religion
Sports
Travel
Business/Investing

And you can bet that their position will not waiver when faced with a different opinion. With these topics off-limits, how can one possibly have a conversation with The Can’t Be Wrong? The truth is, after a time, most stop trying, but that usually does not stop The Can’t Be Wrong. Sadly, our more laid-back guests will usually not step up and tell the Can’t Be Wrong how wrong they are – they will usually find an excuse to leave, or decline the next invitation offered. How can we Hosts On The Run deal with someone like The Can’t-Be-Wrong?

1. Don’t Invite Them
Of course, this is the most ideal answer in the first place. But what if the Can’t Be Wrong is the spouse of a close friend or loved one, or your own family?

2. Keep an ear peeled and change the subject frequently
Usually, the Can’t Be Wrong will begin to show his true colors when in a one-on-one conversation. Keep an eye on the Can’t Be Wrong, and after about 3 minutes of conversation with one of your guests, go join them. Offer drinks, or sit down and change the subject before it gets heated and feelings get hurt.

3. Assign your crisis companion to “babysit”
Oh, it’s sad but true, sometimes you must have someone follow the Can’t Be Wrong around just to make sure that the conversations don’t trip into dangerous territory.

4. Discuss the issue with a mutual third party
Employing a mutual family member or friend to “drop a hint” to the Can’t Be Wrong to cool it when things get steamy, or even after your party all together is another way to deal with this difficult issue. Chances are you already know who could speak to the Can’t Be Wrong without it COMING OUT all wrong.

5. Speak to the Can’t Be Wrong yourself
Before the party, call the Can’t Be Wrong and explain to them that you understand their strong views and opinions are part of their personality, but you would prefer if, for the span of your get-together, they avoid the topics that seem to get blood boiling. This could end one of two ways. First, the Can’t Be Wrong will take your wishes to heart and be a positively delightful guest. OR, they could get totally offended and decide not to come all together. Either way, you have done everything you can.

6. If none of these work and you’re still obligated to have The Can’t Be Wrong at your gathering, give your other guests a heads-up about the Can’t Be Wrong so they won’t take it personally when the Can’t Be Wrong insults their mother.

The Can’t Be Wrong is seriously tricky, but if you have to deal with them, good luck! There’s only one Guest Gone Wrong left to explore – The Destructo-Guest, and we’ll look at this hurricane of a personality next!

View the previous articles and their accompanying videos here:

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Article

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Video

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Article

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Video

Part 3: The Lush Article

Part 3: The Lush Video

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Article

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Video

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Video

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Article

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Video

You can read and watch the videos for the rest of this series at the following links:

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Article

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Video

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Article

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Video

Part 3: The Lush Article

Part 3: The Lush Video

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Article

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Article

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Video

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Article

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Video

You can read and watch the videos for the rest of this series at these links:

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Article

Part 1: The No-Show Guest Video

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Article

Part 2: The Surprise-Show Video

Part 3: The Lush Article

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Article

Part 4: The Never-Ending Guest Video

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Article

Part 5: The Can’t-Be-Wrong Video

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Article

Part 6: The Destructo-Guest Video

http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/blog/video-when-good-guests-go-bad-part-6-the-destructo-guest/