St. Patrick’s Day
Who do you think this is?
Where �is he most recognised?
How do we celebrate him?
Why do we celebrate him?
When do we celebrate him?
Who Was Saint Patrick?
Born around 385 AD.
Born in Bannavem Taburniae.
When he was 16, raiders from Ireland captured him and took him back to Ireland as a slave.
He was kept there for six years, until he was finally able to escape.
Saint Patrick travelled to Europe before eventually making it back to his family in Cornwall.
Who Was Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick had a deep faith in God. All the time he was kept as a slave, he knew he would return to his family.
Once back home, he decided to study as a priest.� After becoming a Bishop, he made a strange decision….
….he would travel back to Ireland to spread the word of God to the people there.
Why Do We Celebrate Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick walked across Ireland teaching people about God. Many people didn’t want to listen but he was gentle and patient. Saint Patrick would talk about the life he knew from his captivity and listen to people’s hardships.
He wasn’t always welcome but he never gave up.
Saint Patrick used a shamrock to teach people about God. It could be found growing all over Ireland and was a simple way to teach about the Holy Trinity.
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Where Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated?
Did You Know?
Some of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations take place in America. 34.7 million Americans have Irish ancestry. That’s seven times more than the population of Ireland!
St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland but it is also celebrated across the world.
Canada
USA
The UK
Australia
New Zealand
ROI
How Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated?
Ireland is often known as the ‘Emerald Isle’ because of its green landscape.
Green represents the colour of the shamrock, used to teach about the Holy Trinity.
People choose to dress in green.
In 2008, the water fountain in Trafalgar Square, London turned green in honour of the saint.
Famous landmarks are often lit up green.
In 1962, Chicago town officials even dyed the Chicago river green!
Green!
How Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated?
A figure from Irish folklore, people sometimes dress up as leprechauns for fun.
The stories say that leprechauns store their pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you can catch a leprechaun, he will lead you to his gold.
How Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated?
Christian families go to church on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day and celebrate together on the afternoon.
They might eat a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage.
Photo courtesy of donwest48(@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
How Is St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated?
Celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day often culminate in a parade with music and dancing.
Take a look at this clip showing Irish dancing.
When Do We Celebrate Saint Patrick?
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17th March which is the day Saint Patrick died.
Can you remember any symbols of St. Patrick’s Day?
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