St. Patrick was the Apostle of Ireland. He was born into a Romanized family and at the age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and brought into slavery in Ireland. After 6 long years in servitude he fled and reunited with his family. He is a famous patron saint because, according to legends, he brought Christianity to Ireland and the Anglo-Saxtons, made the shamrock fashionable, and freed Ireland from snakes.
The celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day started in 1631, when the church created a “feast day” in honor of St. Patrick. Today St. Patrick’s Day observes the death of St. Patrick. The holiday has evolved into a celebation of Irish culture with parades, special foods, dancing, music, and the color green. This holiday was originally celebrated in Ireland then Irish immigrants brought St. Patrick’s day and its traditons to the United States.
Many places around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. For example, the Chicago River is dyed green every year at 10.am. Savannah, Ga hosts a parade that makes its way though the heart of Savannah – crowds of people can be found celebrating here. Many countries around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, proving you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the holiday.
Heres some way to join in on the celebration with friends and family!
- Watch Irish movies together: There are many good Irish movies; doing this will make you feel closer to the culture and the holiday.
- Live a greener life: Use this month of green to teach your family about the importance of helping the enviroment.
- Make rainbow cupcakes: Decorate rainbow cupcakes to look like the pots of gold at the end of a rainbow.
- Attend a parade: Many parades will be taking place for St. Patrick’s day and attending one is a good way to celebrate.
- Eat Irish food: Making and eating Irish food is a big tradition.