St. Patrick's Day traditions

St. Patrick's Day traditions

Multiple Choice

Which one of these is a shamrock?

Poll

Have you ever taken part in a St. Patrick's Day parade before?

• yes

• no

Open Ended

If you have taken part in a St. Patrick's Day parade before, what was the purpose? (part of a club, group, band etc.)

The basics

• St. Patrick is one of three patron saints of Ireland along with St. Brigid and St. Colmcille

• St. Patrick lived during the 5th century AD and came to Ireland to convert the Irish Celts to Christianity in or around the year 432

• St. Patrick's Day occurs on the 17th of March each year

• According to Irish folklore St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland and used a shamrock to explain the Christian belief in the Trinity (father, son & holy spirit are 3 persons in one God)

Things you might not know

• The colour green was not originally associated with St. Patrick, it was a shade of blue known as St Patrick’s blue

• The earliest depictions of St Patrick show him in blue garments, and the colour also appears on ancient Irish flags.

• In 1541, when King Henry VIII was declared the first English king of Ireland, he used a gold Irish harp on a blue flag for the Irish coat of arms because blue was associated with Ireland

• As the blue symbols became more associated with English rule, green grew in popularity as a symbol of rebellion.

• During the 1798 Irish Rebellion, the shamrock became a symbol of nationalism and the ‘wearing of the green’ became regular practice.

Multiple Choice

When is St. Patrick's Day

• February 1st

• March 13th

• March 17th

Multiple Choice

What century did St. Patrick live during?

• 3rd

• 4th

• 5th

Multiple Choice

What colour was originally associated with St. Patrick?

• green

• white

• blue

• gold

Multiple Choice

What did Patrick use the shamrock for?

• to symbolise Ireland

• to make green soup

• to explain the Trinity

• as holy communion

When was St. Patrick’s Day first celebrated?

• Although Patrick was regarded as a saint in Ireland from the 7th century he wasn't formally canonised (made a saint) until the 1630s when the 17th of March, the traditional day of his death, was added to the Catholic breviary (a book of prayers) as the Feast of St Patrick. 

• By the late 17th century, Irish people were celebrating the day by wearing crosses, ribbons or shamrocks.

When was St. Patrick’s Day first celebrated?

• Early celebrations of St Patrick’s Day in Ireland were relatively low-key affairs. It took emigrants, particularly to America, to begin the transformation of St Patrick’s Day into the largely secular (non religious) celebration we know today.

• The large events we see across the world today, with their banners and music, can trace their roots back to New York in 1762 when Irish soldiers in the British Army marched to a St Patrick’s Day celebration with their band playing and their regimental colours flying.

Watch the video on the next slide to find out more about how St. Patrick's Day went global.

This video was made two years ago and mentions Irish politicians going abroad on St. Patrick's Day. This won't be happening this year due to covid.

Multiple Choice

According to the video approximately how many people are there in the world with Irish roots?

• 60 million

• 65 million

• 70 million

• 75 million

Multiple Choice

According to the video what four countries did most Irish emigrants go to during the famine?

• Britain, France, America & Canada

• Britain, France, Germany & Spain

• Britain, New Zealand, America & Canada

• Britain, Australia, America & Canada

Multiple Choice

According to the video what city did the first St. Patrick's Day parade take place in?

• Boston

• London

• Dublin

• New York

Multiple Choice

According to the video how many pints of Guinness are drunk each St. Patrick's Day?

• 10 million

• 13 million

• 16 million

• 19 million

Multiple Choice

According to the video how many pints of Guinness are drunk each St. Patrick's Day?

• 10 million

• 13 million

• 16 million

• 19 million

Multiple Choice

How many marchers take part in the New York parade?

• 3 million

• 300,000

• 30,000

• 3,000

Multiple Choice

Which city dyes its river green?

• Boston

• New York

• Chicago

Multiple Choice

What city hosts the second oldest parade in the USA

• Boston

• New Orleans

• Chicago

• Philadelphia

Multiple Choice

Which American state has a parade in a town called Dublin?

• Ohio

• Missouri

• Georgia

Poll

If you could celebrate St. Patrick's Day in an American city, which one of these do you think you'd most like to go to?

• Boston

• New York

• Chicago

• Philadelphia

• Washington DC