St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day, which takes place on March 17^th, is a holiday that celebrates St. Patrick’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century.

St. Patrick was born in Britain around 387. When he was 16 he was captured by Irish pirates and worked as a slave in Ireland for six years. During his captivity, he converted to Christianity. Then, he escaped and went back to Britain. After a vision that he would preach to the Irish, he went back to Ireland and spent the rest of his life working as a Christian missionary. Throughout his missionary work, he is credited to convert Ireland to Christianity. In order to sell his message, it is believed that St. Patrick chose the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity: God, Son and the Holy Spirit. He died in Ireland on March 17^th, 461 and was largely forgotten. Later, he was recognized as the patron of Ireland, credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.

El Civics says that the first time St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated in the United States was in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737. The Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green, watching parades and eating corned beef with mustard, cabbage and potatoes.

The History Channel says that the first parade held to honor St. Patrick's Day took place not in Ireland but in the United States.

The National Geographic says that New York's St. Patrick's Day parade is the longest running civilian parade in the world.

Check out The New York Times to see how people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in New York.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. The Hostelworld’s website has a page on St. Patrick’s Day celebration in twelve countries.

One traditional symbol of St. Patrick's Day is the shamrock. Some people get temporary tattoos with shamrocks for the occasion. Shamrocks bottoms are used to decorate clothes. Shamrocks are also used as different types of accessories to coordinate people's looks. 

            

The leprechaun is an Irish fairy who dresses like a shoemaker. Some people wear a leprechaun costume during the holiday.

                        

Some people dye their hair green or wear a green wig for the occasion. 

                 

People drink green beer.

               

Landmarks, rivers and attractions around the world turn green to celebrate the Irish festival in style. Here are a few examples. To see some more check out St. Patrick’s Day in Pictures. 

 

Australia: The Sydney Opera is illuminated in green

  

The United States: Chicago River goes green for St. Patrick's Day.

  

        England: The London Eye is illuminated in green.

             

             

Resources for learning more about St. Patrick’s Day:

Check out Larry Ferlazzo’s best websites for learning about the holiday.

The History Channel provides more information about St. Patrick’s Day and his patron.

The BBC has an interactive book on St. Patrick.

Let’s Have Fun With English has a nice video exercise on the holiday.

ESL Holiday Lessons has a page on St. Patrick’s Day that provides audio support for the text.

A Brief History of St. Patrick’s Day, a slideshow from TIME Magazine.

The National Geographic has a page on St. Patrick’s Day Fast Facts.

Collège Marc Chagall has an interactive book on St. Patrick’s Day.

TIME magazine takes a look at some of the lesser-known facts about St. Patrick’s Day.

The ABC News has a video about St. Patrick’s Day in the United States.

St. Patrick’s Day in Pictures is a photo gallery from The Guardian that shows how people celebrate St. Patrick's Day around the world.

CBS News has another photo gallery that shows people celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

You can send an e-card from Blue Mountain and post the link at your website.

5 Minute English has a short article and comprehension questions about St Patrick’s Day.

My Favorite Vintage St. Patrick's Day Cards