Although a religious holiday (celebrating St Patrick) for Irish Catholics, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by many non-Irish and non-Catholic people around the world as a cultural holiday. We did a little research at Wikipedia and learned that
St. Patrick’s Day, although not a legal holiday anywhere in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated throughout the country. It is primarily celebrated as a celebration of Irish and Irish American culture; celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, feasting, copious consumption of alcohol, and numerous parades. The holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late 18th century, prior to the American Revolution.
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In every year since 1991, March has been proclaimed Irish-American Heritage Month by the US Congress or President due to the date of St. Patrick’s Day.
Today, Saint Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike.[8]
Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962.[13] Indianapolis also dyes its main canal green. Savannah dyes its downtown city fountains green. Missouri University of Science and Technology – St Pat’s Board Alumni paint 12 city blocks kelly green with mops before the annual parade.[citation needed] In Jamestown, New York, the Chadakoin is dyed green each year. Columbia, South Carolina dyes its fountain green in the area known as Five Points. A two day celebration is held over St Patrick’s Day weekend.
In Boston, Evacuation Day is celebrated as a public holiday for Suffolk County. While officially commemorating the British departure from Boston, it was made an official holiday after Saint Patrick’s Day parades had been occurring in Boston for several decades, and is often believed to have been popularized because of its falling on the same day as Saint Patrick’s Day.[
These are some of our St. Patrick’s Day favorites.
Color Green – Flashcards
This slide show of green items in our everyday life, from broccoli to funny hats, will help toddlers and preschoolers learn and remember the color green. For ages 1 to 4. See it here
Color G-R-E-E-N Song
For slightly older children, Saint Patrick is a great opportunity to learn how to spell “green” with this catchy song. For ages 4 to 7. Check it out here.
Counting with a Leprechaun
For St. Patrick’s Day, help the lucky Leprechaun count his piles of gold by 1′s, by 2′s, by 5′s, and by 10′s up to one hundred. A song by favorite Harry Kindergarten. For ages 5 to 8. Check it out here.
St. Patrick’s Day Song by Kiboomu
This song, complete with many illustrations, explains who St. Patrick was and why we celebrate him today. For ages 4 to 10. See it here.
