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St Patrick’s Day Facts & Worksheets

Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration that happens annually on 17 March to mark the death date of the most commonly-recognized patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.

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Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration that happens annually on 17 March to mark the death date of the most commonly-recognized patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. It is also a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Newfoundland, and Labrador and Montserrat. The color green, pots of gold, shamrock, and leprechaun are often associated with the celebration.

Key Facts

  • St. Patrick’s Day is an annual feast day celebrating the patron saint the day is named after. It is a national holiday of Ireland and is usually celebrated on March 17.
  • It has become a popular holiday in the United States. People wear green and eat corned beef and cabbage.
  • It is believed St. Patrick, a Roman-Britain-born Christian missionary, was born in the late fourth century and is credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish people.
  • It is also believed St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. However, post-glacial Ireland never actually had snakes. Many believe that the term “snakes” referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place. Today, there are no snakes to be found!
  • Most people, whether they are Irish or not, wear green on this day. One of the Irish traditions is to pinch anyone who is not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day.
  • Irish immigrants began observing the holiday in Boston in 1737 and the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1766.
  • Corned beef and cabbage are traditional foods eaten on this holiday. The shamrock, pots of gold, and leprechauns are also associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The shamrock was worn as a badge on the lapel. Three is Ireland’s magic number and the three leaves that make up the shamrock are supposed to bring good luck. They also represent the Holy Trinity in the Christian religion.
  • The leprechaun is a small Irish fairy. He is dressed like a shoemaker, with pointed shoes and a hat. He also wears a leather apron. Leprechauns are supposed to be unfriendly little men who live alone in the forest, spending all of their time making shoes and guarding their treasures. 
  • If someone catches a leprechaun, he will be forced to tell where he hides all his pots of gold. However, the leprechaun must be watched at all times. If his captor looks away, the leprechaun will vanish along with his treasure.

AS A RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL OBSERVANCE

  • Saint Patrick is known as the Apostle of Ireland, who brought Christianity to Ireland.
  • According to Irish lore, the day could have been St. Maewyn’s Day because it was Patrick’s birth name before he adopted Patricius after becoming a priest.
  • Many Catholic churches move the date of the Feast of Saint Patrick if March 17 falls during Holy Week.
  • In 1737, the Feast of Saint Patrick was first celebrated in the United States by Irish immigrants. By 1762, New York City held the first official parade and, over time, it’s become one of the world’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades. 
  • Since 1962, the Chicago River is dyed kelly green during the celebration. Forty tons of dye is dumped into the river which changes color for four to five hours. 
  • The shamrock is Ireland’s national flower. It is also one of the main symbols of St. Patrick, which represents the Holy Trinity. The three-leafed plant is often used as a badge.
  • It’s a common mistake to confuse a four-leaf clover and a shamrock. The four-leaf clover is considered lucky because they’re generally hard to find. 
  • A popular pastime of St. Patrick’s Day is for adults to drink green beer. Around the world, millions of pints of beer are consumed on St. Patrick’s Day, amounting to more than $245 million! 

St Patrick’s Day Worksheets

This bundle includes 24 ready-to-use St Patrick’s Day worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about St Patrick’s Day, a cultural and religious celebration that happens annually on 17 March to mark the death date of the most commonly-recognized patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.

This download includes the following worksheets:

St. Patrick’s Day Facts

Saint Patrick Who?

The Shamrock

When in Ireland

Is it True? 

Around the World

Fact or Bluff

Symbols and Meanings

Cross that Item

What’s the Difference?

Eat Something Special

The Green Day

Word Finder

Order of St. Patrick

The Leprechauns

Sydney Opera House

Puzzle Pieces

Religious Holidays

St. Patrick Word Bank

Poem for St. Patrick

Symbol for the World

The First Parade

You Complete Me

Holiday Headline

What I Learnt

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Saint Patrick famous for?

Saint Patrick, who was born in Roman Britain during the fifth century, is known as Ireland’s patron saint and national apostle. When he was only 16, he was brought to Ireland against his will and forced into slavery. Later on, he escaped but decided to go back because he wanted to bring Christianity to its people.

Which shamrock is lucky?

A shamrock is a clover with three leaves, while the four-leaf clover is rarer and considered lucky. Both plants are associated with St. Patrick’s Day.

What food did St. Patrick eat?

Many historians believe that during his time, St. Patrick had access to different types of dairy products like fresh milk, sour milk, colostrum, curds, and flavored cream mixtures. He would also have been able to eat different types of bread as well as leavened wheat loaves. There were also oats and barley available alongside more sought-after grains like rye and wheat.

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Link will appear as St Patrick’s Day Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 26, 2023

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.