Saint Patrick's Day

SAINT PATRICK’S  DAY

–Shamrock and leprechaun are two symbols of Ireland. Can you match the symbols with their descriptions?

shamrock	is green	leprechaun
	may bring you good luck
	St. Patrick used it to teach about God
	has got a pot of gold
	lives in the forests of Ireland
	is very quick
	will give you his treasure if you catch him
	usually has three leaves

‚–This is a short text about St. Patrick’s life. Can you put the words in the correct order?

o              in / born / Britain / He / 4^th century. / in / was / the

o              sold / sixteen, / he / a slave. / him / When / was / pagan raiders / as

o              and / the age / he / twenty-two, / returned to / At / of / escaped / Britain

o              about / started / Then, / people / he / teaching / and / God / Christianity.

o              became / 431, / In / Ireland / he / the Bishop / of.

o              People / he / on / died / believe that / March 17^th 461.

ƒ–Celebrations in Ireland.

People around Ireland celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because he is the patron saint of the country. There are parades in most towns and villages. A week-long St. Patrick’s festival takes place in Dublin. It includes a firework display, open-air music, and a traditional parade. St. Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland started in the late 19^th century.

Green is the colour of Ireland. Some people say that you can find 40 shades of green in the Irish countryside. On St. Patrick’s Day many people wear a bunch of shamrocks on their lapels or caps. In the past, girls also wore green ribbons in their hair.

„–Celebrations in the US.

St. Patrick’s Day is not a national holiday in the United States but it is a special day. The first celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day in the American colonies took place in Boston in 1737. In New York City, people celebrated this festival in 1756. Today the New York parade is the largest parade in the world. In 2003, there were more than 150,000 participants, who marched up 5^th Avenue in Manhattan.

Why do so many Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Because many Americans have Irish origins. In the 1840s many people from Ireland emigrated to the United States because they did not have enough food.  

Today, the Irish people in the US remember their country.