St. Patrick`s Day

1. When is St Patrick’s Day?
2. Why is this day celebrated as St Patrick’s Day?
3. Where is it celebrated?
4. When was St Patrick born?
5. What happened to St Patrick at the age of 16?
6. What did the saint see as his ‘calling’?
7. What is a shamrock?
8. What use did St Patrick make of the shamrock?
9. What is a leprechaun?
10. What should you do if you meet a leprechaun?
11. Where is the blarney stone and what is special about it?
12. What does the word ‘blarney’ mean today?
13. Did St Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
14. What should you wear on St Patrick’s Day?
15. What do children do on St Patrick’s Day?
16. What do people traditionally eat on St Patrick’s Day?
Who Is St. Patrick?

St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He was born in the
fourth century and is famous for bringing Christianity into Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day
is a very well known Irish national holiday, which is celebrated not only in Ireland
but all around the world. It falls on the 17th of March.

History of St. Patrick
St. Patrick was born to wealthy parents in the late fourth century. Until the age of
16 years old, he thought of himself as a pagan.

He managed to escape after being a slave for six years and then studied in a
monastery in Gaul for 12 years. This was when he knew that his ‘calling’ was to
try and convert all the pagans in Ireland into Christianity.

Leprechauns are little Irish fairies, and they are thought to work as shoe-makers
for other fairies. The Irish say that if a leprechaun is caught by a human, he will
reveal where he hides his pot of gold. On this day, pictures of shamrocks and
leprechauns are hung everywhere. Some people even dress up as leprechauns
complete with their big green hats!

The village of Blarney is situated northwest of the Irish village of Cork. Blarney
comes from the Irish word ‘An blarna’, meaning the plain. Blarney Castle is a very
famous castle in this village and is 90 feet tall. The world famous Blarney Stone is
on the top story. It is said that if one kisses this stone, one will be given the gift of
eloquence, meaning to have beautiful speaking abilities.