Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day History

St. Patrick's Day honors St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. We celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17. Americans march in parades, dance the Irish jig and gather to sing Irish songs. People wear green in memory of Ireland, the Emerald Isle and wear shamrocks, clover with three leaves.

March 17 was not the day St. Patrick was born but the day he died. Even though we don't know the date of his birth, most scholars believe the year was 385 AD and the year of his death was 461 AD.

St. Patrick was born in Wales, studied religion to become a priest and then went to Ireland to teach the people about God. There are many wonderful stories about St. Patrick, some true and some not true. The most famous legend is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. This did not happen but the Irish will tell you that you cannot find a snake throughout the whole country of Ireland.

Leprechauns

Leprechauns are little make-believe fairies that live in Ireland. They are the shoemakers for the fairies. The story is that if you catch one you can make him tell you where he hides his gold. No one has caught one yet....but start looking today!! Good luck!!

Some magic is involved in catching a leprechaun! :) We can make a special magic magnifying glass that will surely help! From poster board, cut out two shamrock shapes. Cut away the middle of each cutout, leaving only the shamrock outline. Sandwich green cellophane between the shamrock outlines and trim. Now you can look through these magic glasses for a better view!