It’s March, the month that we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It is a celebration of the patron saint, Saint Patrick.
Every year St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th. St. Patrick’s Day is a fun-filled day of wearing green, parades, and traditions to celebrate Irish heritage and culture. Find out why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Saint Patrick with these fun St. Patrick’s Day Facts for Kids.
Who was Saint Patrick?
Saint. Patrick was a patron of Ireland. A patron is a person who gives financial and other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity. He is credited for bringing the Christianity religion to Ireland.
Saint. Patrick was born in Bannaavem Taberniae England around 386 AD. He died on March 17th 460 AD.
At the age of 22, he escaped slavery.
Sanit Patrick dedicated himself to the Christian religion. He studied in a monastery of Le’rins off the coast of France and with Saint Germanicus a French Bishop in France.
Saint Patrick returned to Ireland in his 30s to spread Christianity.
Legends of Saint. Patrick
Legend says that St. Patrick used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish. He used the clover to represent three separate parts ( 3 leaves of the clover) of the same being. The first leaf was God the Father, the second leaf was the Son, and the third leaf, the Holy Spirit.
There are many legends about St. Patrick. One story states that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. He didn’t really drive real snakes out of Ireland. The snakes represent the pagans he converted to Christianity.
Why do we Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day?
Saint Patrick’s Day also known as St. Patrick Feast Day is celebrated on March 17th in honor of the anniversary of Sanit Patrick’s death.
St. Patrick’s Feast Day became an official celebration in the 17th century. The celebration is observed by the Catholic Church, Anglican Communion Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church.
Shamrocks
A shamrock is a plant whose leaves are divided into three leaflets. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most leaves found on a shamrock was 56. It was discovered by Shigeo Obara of Japan.
The shamrock became a symbol for St. Patrick’s Day because it is believed that St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.
Legend says that finding a four-leaf clover on St. Patrick’s Day will bring you luck.
Each cloverleaf represents something different. The first leaf represents hope, the second leaf represents faith, the third leaf represents love and the fourth represents luck.
St. Patrick’s Day Facts for Kids
When we think of a St. Patrick’s Day color, green comes to mind. However, the original St. Patrick’s Day color was blue, it’s true. In Irish legends and stories, green was worn by fairies and immortals. It was also believed that wearing green would help the crops grow better and produce a lot of food. So the color was changed from blue to green in the early 19th century.
It is custom to wear green on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated with festivals, parades, carnivals, treasure hunts, dances, and food.
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations take place in Ireland and all over the world. Canada, Japan, Montserrat (Caribbean island), New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Great Britain, Argentina, Switzerland, South Korea, and the United States.
Leprechauns
Did you know that a leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore?
Leprechauns are a part of the Tuatha De Danann. Tuatha De Danann is a type of people in Irish mythology. It is believed that Leprechauns wear green clothes, brown boots, and a top hat.
Legend says that leprechauns spend all their time making shoes. They store their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Leprechauns are believed to have special powers. If you catch one, they will grant you three wishes in exchange for being let go.
Do you want to learn how to catch a leprechaun? Click here for leprechaun trap ideas.
Are you going to search for a rainbow on St. Patrick’s Day? If you find the end of the rainbow a pot of gold may be waiting for you. Check out these amazing rainbow facts for kids here
Click here for Leprechaun Facts for Kids
St. Patrick’s Day in the United States
Everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day in the U.S.
34 million Americans are part Irish. That is more than the number of people living in Ireland!
Boston Massachusetts has the highest population of Irish people living in the United States.
There are many Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States. Many states have parades, festivals, and parties.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland but in Boston Massachusetts. The first parade took place in 1737!
New York City located in New York has one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the world.
In Chicago, the Chicago River gets temporarily dyed green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
Many Americans eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.
41.4 billion pounds of beef are produced each year for St. Patrick’s Day. Most of the beef in the United States comes from Texas.
2.5 billion pounds of cabbage is grown from St. Patrick’s Day. Most of the cabbage in the United States is grown in California.
Former United States President Barack Obama is part Irish.
Facts About Ireland
Ireland is an island. Because of the many large green fields. Its nickname is the Emerald Isle. Dublin is the capital of Ireland. In Dublin, they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Festival March 15th – 19th.
During St. Patrick’s Day festivals people were shamrocks on their jackets and hats. Children wear green, white, and orange the colors of their flag. Girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
Ireland is the only country to have a musical instrument (the harp) as a national symbol.
The roots of Halloween come from the Irish.
Snakes are not native to Ireland. They do not live there in the wild.
Saint Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages
Click the links below to print and color these awesome Saint Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages
