St. Patrick’s Day!
by Molly Aloian
Review By Fatima Khan, Associate Producer, ReadingWithYourKids.com
This is a great non-fiction book to introduce children and adults to St. Patrick’s Day holiday. It has lots of interesting information about why St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated and what modern celebrations around the world look like. It also describes some of the symbols and activities associated with this holiday. I would recommend this book to 5 to 7 year old kids. On March 17th of each year, millions of people all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The history of this celebration will captivate children and teach them about Irish culture and traditions.
The book explains who Patrick was and why this day is celebrated around the world with much enthusiasm. It says Saint Patrick was a priest in Ireland. Patrick was born in England in a rich family. He was kidnapped when he was just 16 years old. His kidnappers took him to Ireland where he was forced to become a slave and work as a shepherd. His life in Ireland was hard and he missed his family and always prayed to god and had visions. One day he heard a voice telling him to run away. Patrick escaped on a ship and was finally free. He went back home and began studying religion and became a priest. One day, Patrick heard god tell him to go back to Ireland so Patrick returned to the land where he was a slave. Soon, Patrick started teaching people about Christianity and performed many miracles, he helped build hundreds of churches and Schools, and offered kindness to many sick people. He dies on March 17, in the year 461. Irish people loved him so much that they made him a saint. And currently there are more than 60 churches named after Saint Patrick.
This book also describes the importance of green colour on St. Patrick’s day as it informs Green is Ireland’s national colour and many people decorate their homes, offices, and businesses with green decorations to celebrate this holiday. People wear green clothes, shoes and hats to honour Saint Patrick and this tradition is called “the wearing of the green”. Shamrock plant is a symbol for Ireland as according to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock’s three leaves to teach people about the Christian holy trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Leprechaun is another symbol of St. Patrick’s Day. Leprechauns are little men who dress in green and carry tools. They fix the shoes of Irish fairies who love to dance. Some people dress up as leprechauns or fairies to celebrate this day. On this occasion, People like to eat special foods like Irish stew, which is made of lamb and potatoes. Corned beef and cabbage are other popular St. Patrick’s Day foods. Some people also eat Irish Soda bread.
In Ireland, St, Patrick’s day is a religious holiday and people attend church for special services. It is a great day to spend time with your family and friends and enjoy an Irish meal together.
This book has some great pictures with each topic for kids to understand and refer to what the author is talking about. For example, book has pictures of people celebrating and carrying Irish flags in a St. Patrick’s Day parade and a picture of Shamrocks is shown to explain how it looks like. From the story of St. Patrick to Irish immigrants, celebration foods and music, parades, and Irish cultural heritage, this book covers all aspects of this holiday.
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