21 Interesting Facts About St. Patrick’s Day for Kids
St. Patrick’s Day is fun day when we talk about rainbows, leprechauns, and pots of gold. Most of us don’t know a lot about it, we just like to have an excuse to celebrate! Here are some St. Patrick’s Day fun facts for kids that will intrigue the whole family!
I always loved St. Patrick’s Day when I was a child. I attended a private school with a blue uniform, so wearing the color green was out of the question. But I found a way to incorporate it into my wardrobe. After all, no one wants to get pinched!
However, I knew very little about St. Patrick’s Day or why people celebrate it. As it turns out, most of the traditions we associate with Saint Patrick, have very little to do with the an himself. But it’s still pretty fun!
Who Was Saint Patrick?
There’s a lot of mystery shrouding the history of St. Patrick, but it is generally agreed that he was born Maewyn Succat in the Roman colony of Britain around AD 387. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland. He was made a slave and served there for six years.
During that time, he began to pray and came to a knowledge of God. Finally, he returned to his homeland, but he felt a draw to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary. He studied to become a priest, changed his name to Patrick, and returned to Ireland.
He served there for over thirty years, winning many souls to Christ, and according to Irish tradition, founded over three hundred churches. St. Patrick died on March 17, 461, and was buried in Europe.
Of all of the symbols we associate with Ireland’s patron saint, only the clover is a part of the story of St. Patrick. He is said to have used a three-leaf clover to represent the triune being of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
21 St. Patrick’s Day Fun Facts for Kids
St. Patrick’s Day is a fun day when we all wear green and look for four-leaf clover. But why do we do these things? These 21 interesting facts about St. Patrick and the day we celebrate him!
We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 every year.
March 17th is Patrick’s saint day because it is the day he died–way back in the year 461!
St. Patrick is the patron Saint of Ireland.
St. Patrick was a Christian missionary who shared the gospel in the land of Ireland.
Patrick wasn’t Irish.
St. Patrick was probably born in Roman Britain–most likely Scotland or Wales, although no one knows for sure.
His name wasn’t Patrick.
Again, no one knows for sure, but it is a popular belief that his birth name was Maewyn Succat.
St. Patrick was kidnapped as a teenager.
Irish pirates came to Patrick’s town and kidnapped him when he was 16. He was made a slave in Ireland and served there for six years.
Wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day is believed to make you invisible to leprechauns.
It’s also a great way to keep from getting pinched! Pinching someone who isn’t wearing some sort of green attire is a funny tradition for St. Patrick’s Day.
Leprechauns are mythical creatures.
In Irish folklore, leprechauns are known for their mischievous behavior and magical powers. They are believed to have a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Legend has it that if you can catch one, you get to keep the gold!
In America, many people eat corned beef and cabbage.
Corned beef and cabbage are traditional foods for St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, but in Ireland, they typically eat bacon and cabbage.
Shamrocks are a symbol for St. Patrick’s Day.
The shamrock is a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day because St. Patrick is said to have used it to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to the Irish people.
The Chicago River is dyed green every year to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
It’s a fun tradition–even if it’s a little bit gross!
St. Patrick’s Day was originally a religious celebration.
It’s now more secular and celebrated all around the world.
The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in Boston.
Irish Americans hosted the first parade in 1737. St. Patrick’s Day parades are held in many cities around the world, including Dublin, New York City, and Boston.
Some people say St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
However, scientists say there were no snakes there to start with!
The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in New York City.
Over two million people watch this parade every year!
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in Ireland.
The Irish have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for over a thousand years.
The original color of St. Patrick was blue.
The color green became associated with St. Patrick after it became associated with Ireland’s struggle for independence in the late 1700s.
A shamrock is not the same thing as a four-leaf clover.
A shamrock has three leaves, while a four-leaf clover (obviously) has four. A four-leaf clover is considered to be good luck because they are hard to find.
Two cities claim to host the world’s “shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade.”
Both Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Adamsville, Rhode Island each claim that they have the shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade–perhaps as short as 89 feet!
The phrase “the luck of the Irish” actually originated in America.
This phrase originated during the gold rush in the late 19th century. If a miner struck gold, it was said he had “the luck of the Irish.”
St. Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century.
This was over 12 centuries after St. Patrick’s death! The earliest known celebration in the United States was in St. Augustine, Florida in 1601.
St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland, but not in the rest of the United Kingdom.
While many people celebrate it, it’s not a bank holiday–so you won’t be able to get out of school!
Conclusion
These fun St. Patrick’s Day Facts make great conversation starters with kids! Get everyone chatting about Irish traditions and heritage. It’s a fun celebration of Irish culture. St. Patrick’s Day is also a great time to talk about the history of St. Patrick’s Day and open up conversations about missionaries who serve around the world.
Use these interesting St. Patrick’s Day facts to share something new with your kids this March!
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