This is our Green Worksheet section, as we like to refer to it. These worksheets contain a number of different activities using a dedicated set of vocabulary words related to the St. Patrick's Day celebration, including word search, fill in the blanks, scrambled words, word wall flash cards, acrostic poems, crossword puzzles, and more. The collection also includes six different packs of Bingo cards as well as decorated writing paper. Last but not least, a KWHL (know, what, how, learn) diagram is included to help students pick a topic to explore in more depth. You have got to love the consistency of this holiday, always celebrated on March 17 (rain of shine). Saint Patrick was a 5th century Christian missionary that passed on March 17th.
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The History of St. Patrick’s Day - Reading Passage
Lots of Americans from a variety of ethnic backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick is a saint in the Catholic faith, the patron saint of Ireland. Saints have a feast day set aside in their honor and St. Patrick’s feast day, St. Patrick’s Day, is March 17. Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!
History - Multiple Choice Questions
Who were some of the first people to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the American colonies?
History Short Answer Questions
Pretend you are Anna M. Jarvis. Write a letter to President Woodrow Wilson convincing him to make Mother's Day a National Holiday. Make sure to give at least three strong reasons.
Who was Saint Patrick? - Reading Worksheet
In the Catholic Church, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.
Multiple Choice Questions
Patrick made his way back to Britain. After returning to Britain, Patrick believed that an angel appeared to him in a dream to tell him to become a missionary in Ireland.
Short Answer Questions
One legend says that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. But scientists tell us that Ireland, which is an island, didn't have any snakes to begin with.
Ireland at a Glance - Passage
Ireland rates as one of the top ten scenic countries in the world. Ireland, where just over four million people live, is an island of about twenty-six thousand square miles just across the Irish Sea from Great Britain.
Multiple Choice Questions
The history of Ireland dates back to around 6000 B.C. in the Stone and Bronze Ages.
Short Answer Questions
If you drove at a constant speed of 50 miles per hour, how long would it take to drive the entire coastline of Ireland assuming there’s a road?
St. Patrick's Day Parades - Reading Passage
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and St. Patrick's Day, March 17, honors his service to Ireland in the fourth century when he converted pagans to Christianity.
Multiple Choice Questions
A long-time tradition in the United States is to have a parade on St. Patrick’s Day. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade happened in colonial days before the United States was even a country. I
Short Answer Questions
New York City has been having a St. Patrick’s Day parade for nearly 250 years. The parade was organized by military units from its beginning until the War of 1812.
The Story of the Shamrock
Everyone who is Irish or anyone who wants to be part of the festivities of the day wears something green.
Short Answer Questions
If you lived in Ireland at the time of the Rebellion of 1798 would you join the Irish Volunteers and wear a shamrock?
Wearing Green - Passage
Ireland is an island of great natural beauty and is listed as one of the ten most scenic countries in the world.
Green- Multiple Choice
The Irish flag is made up of three colors: green, white and orange. Since green is so popular in Irish culture you might think that’s why people wear green on St. Patrick's Day.
Wearing Green - Quick Questions
Irish Americans started wearing Kelly green, the color in the Irish flag, during St. Patrick’s Day parades
Leprechauns - Reading Passage
What do trolls, elves, fairies, leprechauns and unicorns all have in common? These are all imaginary characters that don’t really exist.
Leprechauns - Multiple Choice Questions
In the early days of the leprechaun stories a leprechaun was described as a little old man who worked as a cobbler.
Leprechauns - Short Answer Questions
Leprechauns are supposed to be the keepers of ancient Irish treasure in the form of pots of gold.
Corned Beef and Cabbage Passage
You probably are already familiar with cabbage. A head of cabbage looks a lot like a head of iceberg lettuce and shredded cabbage is the main vegetable in coleslaw.
Corned Beef and Cabbage - Multiple Choice Questions
In past centuries there wasn't any refrigeration. Everything was eaten fresh or it had to be preserved for winter in some way. One way to preserve beef was to cure it by adding lots of salt.
Short Answer Questions
In the 1800s corned beef and cabbage was a meal enjoyed for Easter dinner in the countryside of Ireland.
Around the World - Reading Passage
Americans have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for centuries, since Irish soldiers came in the 1700s when there were British colonies.
Around the World - Multiple Choice Questions
At that time the city of Montreal was just a fort guarded by Irish soldiers. They began celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in 1759.
Short Answer Questions
Irish soldiers also brought St. Patrick’s Day to Mexico but it’s not a big holiday there.
Shamrocks and St. Patrick's Day - Reading Passage
Americans simply say that a shamrock is the same an ordinary three-leaf clover. Clover grows well in the United States and you can find red clover and white clover growing in many places.
Shamrocks Multiple Choice Questions
How is a shamrock related to St. Patrick’s Day? St. Patrick lived in the fourth century and he brought Christianity to Ireland.
Shamrocks - Short Answer Questions
Even before St. Patrick the early settlers of Ireland used the shamrock as a symbol for good luck.
What is Saint Patrick's Day?
Along with so many culturally diverse celebrations held around the year, one very "green" celebration is known as Saint Patrick's Day.
Every year, St. Patrick's Day falls on the 17th of March, remembering St. Patrick. He was an Irish patron who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century. St. Patron was raised in Roman Britain but was captured by Ireland and taken as a slave as a young adult. Some years later he returned to his family and returned to the church. Later, he went back to Ireland and worked as a missionary in the North and West of the country.
Today, St. Patrick's Day is symbolized by the "Shamrock." It is a leaf of the clover that signifies the Holy Trinity. People around the globe wear green and the flag of the Republic of Ireland. Parties are adorned with green color, and people enjoy traditional foods and sweets of Ireland. Some people also plan a pilgrimage to the St. Patrick's Purgatory.
Facts About This Holiday
Many countries across the globe celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17 every year. It is the commemoration of the death of St. Patrick, the Irish patron saint who is credited with introducing the present-day European nation to Christianity.
The event dates back to the 17th century when it started off as a religious feast. Over time, it has evolved into a mega celebration of Irish culture with green-themed parades, special foods, music, and dancing. This article will discuss some interesting facts about the popular holiday.
History & Origin
Back in 1631, the Church started observing a special feast in honor of St. Patrick every 17th of March. Since then, it has spread to many countries across the planet, undergoing various changes and evolutions in the process.
As already mentioned, St. Patrick was an influential missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland. However, he wasn't a citizen of the country, having been born to Roman parents in Scotland or Wales during the 4th century. He is believed to have died on March 17, 461 AD.
Interesting Facts
Following are some interesting facts about this holiday. You probably didn't know many of them!
It Wasn't His Real Name
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world with lots of zeal and fervor. However, the patron saint's real name was “Maewyn Succat.” Legend has it that he was kidnapped at 16 and brought to Ireland for slavery. Later on, he escaped and sought refuge in a monastery.
Over there, he became a priest and changed his name. He was eventually ordained as a bishop and the patron saint of Ireland returned to the country as a missionary in 432 AD. He played a significant role in the spread of Christianity across Ireland.
You Should Wear Blue Instead of Green On This Day!
Contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick was more associated with blue. In fact, green used to be considered "unlucky" by many. The former still holds some symbolism within Ireland, even though green has become the go-to shade for anyone who doesn't want to get pinched.
Historically, green was used to signify multiple Irish rebellions as they attempted to break away from English rule and gain independence. Later on, the color was widely adopted by Irish immigrants who settled in the United States. Wearing green and carrying the Irish flag became a common sight within the American-Irish community. It was a way of showing love and devotion to their country of origin.
The Parade Is An American Creation
The very first St. Patrick's Day parade was organized in New York City in 1762. As more and more Irish immigrants crossed the Atlantic, St. Patrick's Day soon became a popular holiday. Today, about 150,000 people take part in the St. Patrick's Day parade in NYC every year. Moreover, around 2 million individuals are usually in attendance to watch the spectacle.
The parade has been an annual occurrence since its inception. 2020 and 2021 were the only years it didn't take place because of COVID-related restrictions and strict safety protocols. It resumed in 2022 to great fanfare!
Was Once a Dry Holiday
Since it began as a religious holiday, especially in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day used to be a “dry holiday” for much of the 20th century. As a result, all the bars and pubs had to be closed on the 17th of March. However, everything changed from 1970 onwards when the date was declared as a national holiday. Since that time, the pubs have become preferable hangout spots and celebration venues on St. Patrick's Day.