MARY MIGLIARO: St. Patrick’s Day

To many, St. Patrick’s Day is a time for fun, wearing green, and looking for four-leaf clovers or shamrocks. For parents and their children, it can be a great time to explore the history of the day, the culture it came from, and a little more about the world-at-large.

St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on the 17th of March, and named in honor of the patron saint of Ireland. The festival commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrating Irish heritage and culture. St. Patrick’s Day is now celebrated by many people throughout the world, Irish and non-Irish alike, with food, drink, and all things green.

St. Patrick’s Day has been observed as a religious festival in Ireland for over a thousand years, though it was only recognized as a celebration of Irish culture and heritage in the 1970s. The day is named in honor of St. Patrick, a priest, and the patron saint of Ireland, who has been credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.

It is thought that St. Patrick used a shamrock as a metaphor for the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

His parishioners began wearing shamrocks to his church services. Today, “the wearing of the green” on St. Patrick’s Day represents spring, shamrocks, and Ireland.

Here are a few ways to learn more about Ireland and explore the Irish culture.

Where is Ireland? Using a globe, map, or other materials, help your children locate it and its geographical properties. Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of Europe. It is the continent’s second largest island after Great Britain.

Ireland is known for its wide expanses of lush, green fields. In fact, its nickname is the Emerald Isle. But there are also large areas of rugged, rocky landscape.

Explore the people and culture. Ireland is a nation of storytellers. The tradition dates back to Celtic bards, who would record and recite the country’s history. Many famed writers come from Ireland, including several winners of the Nobel Prize for literature.

Explore and eat traditional Irish food. Beer and spirits are not the only great consumable goods to come out of Ireland. Corned beef, cabbage and lamb stew accompanied by traditional Irish soda bread are tasty ways to enjoy. Potatoes are one of the staples of the Irish diet.

Learn some Irish words and phrases. The Irish have their own distinct dialect of the English language.

Here are a couple of examples.

 What’s the craic? This phrase can be interpreted as either “How’s it going?” or “What’s going on?” or “What’s up?” and is used in nonformal settings. Craic is a very important word in Ireland and can be used to describe your enjoyment of an event or activity, e.g. “How was the party?” “Ah sure, it was great craic altogether!”

 Grand. Grand is another multi-purpose word in Hiberno-English. It doesn’t mean large or impressive, but rather translates as “fine” or “great” depending on the context. “I’m grand” is a perfectly acceptable reply to the question “How are you?” and means the person is doing just fine.

Listen to Irish music. Ireland has a long history with music, and many incredible styles have emerged.

Celtic, folk, and traditional Irish pub songs might just get you in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. You can play some Irish music at home or find out about any Irish bands or musicians playing locally.

Attend or get involved in local parades. Many parades feature the best of local dance troupes, marching bands, gymnasts, and musicians in addition to spectacular themed floats and brightly costumed participants. One of the most famous parades and celebrations takes place in Savannah, Georgia, the second largest in the state.

For more, you can go to YouTube and input “Ireland” to find many videos of the country, Irish dancing, and much more.

Using some or all of these activities, you and your children will learn more about this beautiful country and the holiday we all like to celebrate.