Need St Patrick’s Day for kids ideas, crafts and facts about St Patrick’s lessons and activities? Check out fun holidays for kids ideas and learn more about this celebration of Irish culture and Saint Patrick fun facts!
St. Patrick’s Day for Kids Activities
Fun St Patrick’s Day Activities for Kids
- Learn about the meaning of St Patricks Day
- Learn about St Patrick’s Day background and who is Saint Patrick
- Study the geography of Ireland
- Listen to St. Patrick’s Day music
- Make layered St Patricks day drinks for kids
- Create a costume of green and wear it
- Go to a parade
- Read children’s books about St. Patrick’s Day
- Build a leprechaun trap
- Cook and eat corned beef and cabbage
- Hunt for lucky St. Patrick’s Day clover / shamrocks
- Listen to Irish music.
- Watch fun Irish movies for kids.
- Do Crafts for St Patrick’s day
How do you explain St Patrick’s Day to a child?
Wondering how do you explain St Patrick’s Day…
What is St Patrick’s Day and why do we celebrate it?
Why is St Patrick’s Day celebrated and what is the St Patrick’s Day history? St. Patrick’s Day, also called the Feast of Saint Patrick, is both a cultural and religious day to celebrate and honor St. Patrick, a patron saint and Christian minister in Ireland. The day was made an official Christian Feast Day and commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.
Why do we celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the United States?
St. Patrick’s Day is observed in the United States to celebrate Irish-American heritage and culture of the Irish. Although the holiday is from Ireland, most of the traditions were started in the United States. In America, the holiday is also referred to as St. Paddy’s Day or St. Patty’s Day.
When is St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day 2021 is Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Is St Patrick’s Day always March 17?
St Patrick’s Day date is always on March 17th, which is the death date of Saint Patrick, or the patron saint of Ireland.
Is St Patrick’s Day a holiday?
St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and a few other places. St. Patrick’s Day is not a federal holiday in the United States. Although not an official holiday in other countries, it is still widely celebrated in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and other countries around the world.
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St Patrick’s Day Facts and Traditions
St Patrick’s Day Colors
Did you know that St. Patrick’s color is really blue (and not green)?
According to Time.com:
Saint Patrick’s color was blue, not green, say historians. The hue — St. Patrick’s blue, a lighter shade — can still be seen on ancient Irish flags and was used on armbands and flags by members of the Irish Citizen Army.
…But the use of green on St. Patrick’s Day began during the 1798 Irish Rebellion, when the clover became a symbol of nationalism and the ‘wearing of the green’ on lapels became regular practice.
Why do we wear green on St Patrick’s Day?
What do you do on St Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations include:
- Wearing green
- Looking for shamrocks
- Listening to Irish music and singing traditional Irish songs
- Going to parades
- Visiting festivals
- Looking out for leprechaun tricks
- Eating special food like corned beef and cabbage and soda bread
- Drinking green beer or green drinks
Because Lenten restrictions are often lifted for the day, many people drink alcohol and the day has been commercialized for that as the main reason to celebrate.
(For example, they do not drink green beer in Ireland!)
Many in Ireland believe this has added a negative stereotype to the holiday.
Fun St. Patrick’s Day Trivia
- St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish! He was born in Britain!
- March 17th, the day the holiday is celebrated, is the day St. Patrick died.
- Saint Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat. He changed it to Patricius after becoming a priest.
- Saint Patrick’s official color was blue, not green.
- Legend credits Saint Patrick with driving all the snakes out of Ireland. However, Ireland was too cold for snakes, so it is believed that Saint Patrick was driving away metaphorical snakes.
- Leprechaun’s were initially described as wearing red and not green!
- New York city hosts the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world.
- Legend states that the three-leaf shamrock represents the Holy Trinity.
- The “corn” in corn beef refers to the salt used to cure the meat, which was called “corn.”
- Irish lore says that leprechauns are shoe cobblers and spend their days making/mending shoes and that’s how they earned their pot of gold.
St Patrick’s Day Sayings
A traditional saying for the holiday is, “Erin go Bragh!” It means “Ireland forever!”
St Patricks Day Food
Traditional Irish St Patrick Day food includes:
- Irish Fry breakfast of bacon (“rashers”), blood sausage (also called black pudding), fried tomatoes, brown soda bread, and tea.
- Irish soda bread
- Scones
- Roast with potatoes, peas, carrots, and gravy
- Colcannon (a version of mashed potatoes)
- Apple tart
- Shepard’s pie
- Bacon or lamb (mutton) and cabbage
- Corned beef and cabbage*
*Corned beef and cabbage is not a traditional Irish dish and is an Irish-American culture dish. However, there was a traditional Irish dish of bacon and cabbage that was adapted in the U.S.
What does the rainbow mean on St Patrick’s Day?
Some say that the rainbow is a symbol of Ireland transitioning from paganism to Christianity. It is also said that leprechauns hide a pot-o-gold at the end of a rainbow.
St Patrick’s Day Traditions Leprechaun
Why is there a leprechaun on St Patrick Day?
Leprechauns are mythical creatures from Irish folklore. They are said to be small with red hair, a beard, and they wear all green and symbolize luck. There is no connection between leprechauns and the patron saint of the holiday. However, along with shamrocks, they have become symbols of St. Patrick’s Day.
Leprechauns are quite mischievous and like to play practical jokes.
They have a pot of gold that they’ve hidden. They’re hard to catch, but if a human is lucky enough to catch one, it is said that the person gets the pot of gold.
Legend has it that they will trade three wishes for their freedom.
FUN FACT: Did you know that leprechauns originally were said to wear red and not green?
According to CBSNews.com:
Leprechauns were originally depicted wearing red, not green.
In ‘Legends and Stories of Ireland,’ written in 1831, Samuel Lover describes their dress:
‘He wears a red square-cut coat, richly laced with gold, and the inexpressible of the same, cocked hat, shoes and buckles.’
What does the leprechaun bring kids?
Leprechauns may leave your kids coins, chocolate, candy, or chocolate coins (or any other treat surprises you think go along with the theme!). Leprechauns also like to leave pranks and do naughty things (like knock things over) when they visit!
How Do We Celebrate St Patrick’s Day for Kids?
What do you give kids on St. Patrick’s Day?
- A green shirt or St. Paddy’s Day t shirt (or something green to wear)
- Green socks
- Fun hats
- Pot o Gold (chocolate) coins
- Rainbow stuff
- Shamrock glasses, beads, necklaces, and bracelets
- Shamrock tattoos
- St. Patrick’s Day book
- Leprechaun book
- St. Patrick’s Day crafts
- St. Patty’s Day stickers
- Leprechaun costume
- A St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun
KEEP SCROLLING FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS!
Learning About St. Patrick’s Day
23+ St. Patrick’s Day Facts, Crafts, Activities and Lessons for Kids
• Watch a short St Patricks Day history video.
• Read Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
• Study the geography of Ireland
• Make Pot-O-Gold Popcorn Bites
• Plan a (pretend) trip to Ireland and see if you can stay in budget
• Make easy shamrock treats
• Make leprechaun snacks
• Read The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day and then build your own leprechaun trap!
• Watch a video book, Story of the Leprechaun
• Read about different Irish good luck traditions
• Watch St Patrick’s Day movies for kids
• Make some St Patrick’s day crafts
• Make a St Patricks Day meal of corned beef and cabbage
• Read long with an Irish folktale children’s book
• Make some traditional Irish soda bread
• Study about Irish blessings (and write your own!)
• Do a STEM project and make green carnations
• Make St Patrick’s Day drinks for kids
• Tell some St Patrick’s Day jokes
• Listen to a St Patrick’s Day song and St Patrick’s Day music
• Learn about the tradition of storytelling in Ireland
• Do a St Patrick’s Day word search
• Make St Patrick’s Day drawings and art
• Grab some free St Patricks Day coloring pages
Happy St Patrick’s day!