St. Patrick’s Day

We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. 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. 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. There is also the story of Leprechauns. They 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.

Americans march in parades, dance the Irish jig and gather to sing Irish songs. People wear green in memory of Ireland, the Emerald Isle. They wear shamrocks and clover with three leaves.

Here is a fun way to make shamrocks:
Trace shamrock shapes onto potato halves and cut them out to make shamrock stamps. Mix equal parts evaporated milk and liquid tempera paint. Pour this mixture over several layers of paper towels in a meat tray. Press the shamrock potato onto the pad and then repeatedly onto a sheet of art paper. The milk/paint mixture clings to the potato better than plain paint, making it stamp better

Here is a list of books on St. Patrick:
Fluffy’s Lucky Day by Kate Mcmullan
Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day by Joan Holub
St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning by Jan Brett
St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons
The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh by Janet Nolan
Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs by Edna Barth
Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day by Kathy Ross
The Wearing of the Green: A History of St. Patrick’s Day by Mike Cronin
St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet by Beverly Barras Vidrine
A Leprechaun’s St. Patrick’s Day by Sarah Kirwan Blazek
Fluffy’s Lucky Day by Kate Mcmullan
Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day by Joan Holub
St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning by Jan Brett
St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons
The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh by Janet Nolan
Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs by Edna Barth
Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day by Kathy Ross
The Wearing of the Green: A History of St. Patrick’s Day by Mike Cronin
St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet by Beverly Barras Vidrine
A Leprechaun’s St. Patrick’s Day by Sarah Kirwan Blazek