1. When is St Patrick’s Day? It falls on the 17th of March
2. Why is this day celebrated as St Patrick’s Day? Because St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland
3. Where is it celebrated? In Ireland
4. When was St Patrick born? He was born in the fourth century and is famous for bringing Christianity into Ireland.
5. What happened to St Patrick at the age of 16? Until the age of 16, he thought of himself as a pagan. He was kidnapped and sold as a slave at this age by Irish marauders. It was during this capture that he turned to God.
6. What did the saint see as his ‘calling’? This was when he knew that his ‘calling’ was to try and convert all the pagans in Ireland to Christianity.
7. What is a shamrock? Shamrocks are three-leaved clovers found growing in patches on grass.
8. What use did St Patrick make of the shamrock? You are thought to be lucky if you find a four-leaved clover, so do keep it if you ever come across one!
9. What is a leprechaun? Leprechauns are little Irish fairies, and they are thought to work as shoe-makers for other fairies. The Irish say that if a leprechaun is caught by a human, he will reveal where he hides his pot of gold.
10.What should you do if you meet a leprechaun? On this day, pictures of shamrocks and leprechauns are hung everywhere. Some people even dress up as leprechauns complete with their big green hats!
11.Where is the blarney stone and what is special about it? The village of Blarney is situated northwest of the Irish city of Cork. Blarney comes from the Irish word ‘An blarna’, meaning the plain. Blarney Castle is a very famous castle in this village and is 90 feet tall.
12.What does the word ‘blarney’ mean today? The world famous Blarney Stone is on the top story. It is said that if one kisses this stone, one will be given the gift of eloquence, meaning to have beautiful speaking abilities. Nowadays, the word blarney means the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without offending.
13.Did St Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland? . He is well-known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, although many people dispute how true this is! Another great story was how he used the shamrock, with its three leaves, to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost) to his followers.
14.What should you wear on St Patrick’s Day? Wearing green clothes
15.What do children do on St Patrick’s Day? Children in Ireland have a tradition of pinching their friends who don’t wear green on this day!
16.What do people traditionally eat on St Patrick’s Day? Bacon and cabbage is what most people have on this day.
17.What do pub owners do on St Patrick’s Day? Irish pub owners go crazy on this day, putting green food colouring into their beers and traditional Irish Guinness Stout is a sell out in all Irish pubs!
