Saint Patricks Day Activities

Hello Everyone! Hope you all are healthy and not too busy. Here are some Saint Patricks Day activities to help you celebrate tomorrow the 17th of March ! This link has a history, legends and songs of Ireland, as well as some jokes! Have fun and don't forget to be happy- Love, Grace :)

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Everyone! Hope you are happy and wearing the color green!

Who was Saint Patrick?

Patrick was an Englishman who was captured as a boy by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. He managed eventually to escape and made his way to France where he studied to become a priest. When he was made a Bishop, he was sent back to Ireland to spread the Christian faith among the tribes there.

One story tells of Patrick getting rid of all the snakes in Ireland by praying. He explained the Christian belief of the Trinity or the idea that God is three in one - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - by using a shamrock with its three parts. The shamrock is now the emblem of Ireland.

Some people believe that Saint Patrick died on 17 March, 460 AD. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated around the world, wherever people of Irish descent live.

2. Click on the link to watch the video and answer the questions below. 

WEBSITE LINK https://en.islcollective.com/video-lessons/st-patricks-day-news-break

ST. PATRICK’S DAY FOR KIDS

1) On what day is Saint Patrick's Day?

1. March 16th
2. March 17th
3. March 18th
4. March 19h

2)

Fill the gap: He became the patron saint of ________________________

3) Saint Patrick's Day is to celebrate...

1. Saint Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland
2. Irish Culture
3. The United Kingdom

4)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick escaped after he had a ________________________

5) Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, but the "snakes" was a symbol for...

1. snakes
2. paganism
3. spiders
4. christianity

6)

Fill the gap: A leprechaun guards a ________________________ at the end of the ________________________

7) How did the leprechauns get their gold?

1. They got it from vikings.
2. They got it from pirates.
3. They got it from kings.

8) How do we celebrate the holiday?

1. Wear green.
2. Watch parades.
3. Eat turkey.
4. Go trick-or-treating.
5. Go to parties.

9)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick used the ________________________ to talk about the Holy Trinity.

10)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick's Day happens in the ________________________ of Lent.

11)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick's Day is a ________________________ from Lent.

4. Read the story of The Dagda’s Harp

The Dagda's Harp

an Irish Legend

The Dagda is a "good god" in Irish mythology. He had great magic powers and a beautiful harp that could control weather and crops. More importantly, this magic harp could control people's emotions and feelings.

By plucking the strings of his magic harp, the Dagda could instantly get all his warriors ready for battle. When they returned home, the Dagda played his harp again. This time the magic music caused the men to be calm and forget about any battle wounds.

Once upon a time, during a war, the enemy tribe stole Dagda’s harp and took it to an old castle far away. Dagda followed the tribe to the castle and called out to the harp, "Come to me, my beautiful harp."

The harp sprang from its place in the middle of the castle banquet hall and dropped in front of the Dagda. He played 3 loud chords that he called the Music of Tears and everyone in the castle began to cry. 

Just as the warriors were about to draw their swords, Dagda plucked the harp strings and played the Music of Mirth. All the warriors began to laugh hysterically.

The Dagda struck the harp again. This time the notes were soft and sweet, pure and soothing. This was the Music of Sleep. Everyone but the Dagda dropped to the ground, closed their eyes and nodded off to sleep.

When the Dagda was certain that everyone was fast asleep and unable to move, he took the harp, left the castle, and returned to his land with his magic harp unharmed

1.Who stole the Dagda's magic harp?

1. an enemy tribe
2. the Dagda's own warriors
3. Irish fairies

2.  Where was the harp placed at the castle?

1. in the dungeon
2. in the tower
3. in the banquet hall

3.  Who is the Dagda?

1. a leprechaun
2. a god in Irish mythology
3. the Greek god of music

4. What music caused everyone to drop to the ground and close their eyes?

1. Music of Tears
2. Music of Mirth
3. Music of Sleep

5. The Dagda played his harp before battles to make the warriors cry.

1. True
2. False 
3. It doesn't say in the story.

 6. What is mirth?

1. laughter
2. sadness
3. hunger

7. The Dagda's magic harp could control the weather.

1. True
2. False
3. It doesn't say in the story.

  8. How did the Dagda get his harp back?

1. He put everyone to sleep and took the harp away
2. He killed the warriors and rescued the harp.
3. The magic harp came back to him on its own.

9.  What happened when the Dagda played the Music of Tears?

1. Someone died.
2. Everyone laughed.
3. Everyone cried.

Read the story and try to find all the idioms that use the word luck.

WHAT IS AN IDIOM? AN IDIOM IS A WORD OR PHRASE THAT MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM ITS TRANSLATION. LIKE A SECRET CODE OR IDEA.

 

 

St. Patrick - Lucky Idioms

Most people know all the stories about St. Patrick's Day, but Patrick Delaney had been told by his Pa that the real story was a lot different. One St. Patrick's Day his Pa told this story:

Once upon a time in Ireland lived a man who was always dressed in green. Green hat, green shirt and tie, green pants and belt and green shoes and socks. To be quite honest his skin was a little green too, but some said that was because he only bathed in Irish bogs so his skin was a moss colour. Some people said that once he was a lucky man when he had a lucky streak. His string of good luck started when he bought a sack of potatoes and when he opened the sack he found a small pot of gold. When he sold the gold he had enough money to buy a small house. After he bought his house he became good friends with his neighbours and thought himself to be a lucky dog to have lucked out. One night there was a terrible storm that knocked down everyone's house in the village except his. He seemed to be having a  lucky streak. His neighbours asked him how he had been so lucky. He said to them, "When I heard the wind starting to blow I wished upon a lucky star, and it worked!" They thought that his luck was more about the gold that he found, but he replied with the Yiddish Proverb, "Better an ounce of luck than a pound of gold." They didn't understand what he meant by that and he had to explain to them that even though he had found a pot of gold, if his house had blown down he wouldn't have anything left. It was only a string of good luck that saved his house and his good fortune! They said to him, "Well you can thank your lucky stars that you found the pot of gold in the first place." He felt sorry for his neighbours because they had had tough luck.  He knew that it was only the luck of the draw that had saved his house. Sometimes it is just pure luck when good things happen to you. His next door neighbour called him a lucky dog but the little green man said, "You have to be good to be lucky" His neighbour said it was only the  the luck of the Irish that had saved only his house. He agreed with his neighbour, his good luck was just that. Good luck. He felt guilty that he had been so lucky, but what could he do about it? He didn't want to give his house away just because he had been lucky. He was a good man though, and he decided that he would leave it up to luck, whether he would get to keep his house. He called his neighbour over and said to him that he would give his house away to his neighbour if he could do one simple thing. His neighbour thought that he might have a stroke of good luck. His neighbour knew that he had lucked out. No one gives away their house based upon a "simple thing"! What lucky break! (he thought!) His neighbour had been really down on his luck. He had just lost his job the week before the wind knocked his house down. "What do I have to do?" asked the neighbour. The man in green said, "I've written down a famous Irish saying that talks about luck. All you have to do is tell me what the famous expression is." His neighbour said, "Wow that's easy, it has to be: It's wishing you joy, I'll be havin' you know, and wherever you go." "Wrong, check the paper, it says, if you're lucky enough to be Irish you're lucky enough," said the little man in green. "Well darn my luck," said his neighbour. At this point in the story all the neighbours wanted to get in on the contest. They all wanted to win the little green man's house for themselves. One of his nicer neighbours didn't think it was a very smart for the little green man to give away his house in such a risky way urged the little green man to quit this silliness and said, "Don't push your luck, you don't want to lose your house just because you are so generous and your neighbours are so greedy." The little green man said to him, "I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm going to do this, why don't you try your luck?" This neighbour said, "OK if you want to push your luck, I'll give it a try. You probably said: May good fortune be yours, may your joys never end." He was wrong, the paper said, "Like the warmth of the sun and the light of the day, may the luck of the Irish shine bright on your way." One more neighbour wanted to pure luck but the little green man said to him, "You should be so lucky, I'm not going to push my luck again!" By this time the little green man was feeling pretty good about himself and his string of good luck He was also in a mood to make a few jokes and said, "I look like a million dollars -- green and wrinkled." His friends and neighbours all agreed with him about looking green and wrinkled and wished he could buy some new clothes and take a bath in a bathtub, because besides looking green he also smelled green. (if you know what I mean) He then made a bad joke that ridiculed the Irish. His neighbours were angry that he would tell a racist joke. They didn't think it was funny making fun of being Irish. He had pushed his luck too far this time. His neighbours decided that they didn't like him anymore, the luck of the Irish seemed to be leaving him. Had his lucky break in finding the pot of gold finally ended?  Had his lucky streak ended? It had! The next week there was a fire and his house burned down. He was ruined. He didn't have any money or a house and all of his former neighbours (he thought they were friends) hated him for making stupid jokes about Irishmen and were sick of looking at and smelling his greeness. He felt in disgrace and went back to living in the bogs and got even greener over the years. But the story of his string of good luck and how it had turned into bad luck became a legend in Ireland. When Patrick's dad finished this story, Patrick looked up to his dad and asked him, "Pa, what was the little green man's name, you never said." Pa's dad looked at him and quietly said, "His name was Patrick, just like yours, he was your great, great, great, great grandpa and you are named after him." Patrick thought about this for a while and then asked his dad if he would ever have a string of good luck. His Pa thought for a while and said, "There's a famous saying that goes like this: I am a great believer in luck and the harder I work the more of it I have. A famous man called Stephen B. Leacock said that." "But Pa, I don't understand, what does that mean?", said Patrick. His Pa looked at Patrick and said, "Here's another way of saying it: Nothing brings you good luck so much as not relying on it." Patrick was getting a little frustrated, his dad was being too smart for him. Patrick wished his dad would just give him a simple explanation so he asked him again, "But Pa." His dad made one more attempt and said, "Well son, a famous movie actress Shirley Temple Black once said, "Good luck needs no explanation." Patrick groaned and said, "the luck of the Irish isn't with me right now, can I go out and play?" "Sure, said his Pa,"You're a lucky dog that you can go out and play, I have work to do." Patrick replied with a grin on his face, "You have to be good to be lucky Pa." His Pa thought, "I hope that boy's got the luck of the Irish but I really lucked out with that son of mine. I can thank my lucky stars for that lad what a lucky break that he's such a good boy. I never got to tell him that the little green Patrick in the story came to be known as St. Patrick." 

Source : learn irish sayings , source http://idiomsbykids.com/index.php?story_menu=1

LEARN AN IRISH SONG 

Listen to the song When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and fill in the missing words.

Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcGmLu27OlI

There's a tear in your ________,
And I'm wondering why,
For it never should be there at all.
With such pow'r in your _________,
Sure a ________ you'd beguile,
So there's never a teardrop should ______.
When your sweet lilting ____________
Like some ________ song,
And your ________ twinkle bright as can be;
You should _________ all the while
And all other times _________,
And now, smile a __________ for me.

When Irish eyes are __________,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in ___________.
In the lilt of ____________ laughter
You can hear the angels _________.
When Irish ____________ are ___________,
All the ________ seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are ___________,
Sure, they steal your __________ away. 

For your __________ is a part
Of the _________ in your ___________,
And it makes even ______________ more bright.
Like the linnet's sweet song,
Crooning all the day long,
Comes your ____________  so tender and light.
For the ________________ of life
Is the sweetest of all
There is ne'er a real care or regret;
And while ________________ is ours
Throughout all of youth's hours,
Let us _____________ each chance we get.

When Irish eyes are ______________,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in ___________.
In the lilt of ___________ laughter
You can hear the angels __________.
When Irish __________ are ___________,
All the __________ seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are ____________,
Sure, they steal your ______________ away. 

Funny Irish Jokes to share with your friends and family.

Leprechaun jokes

• What kind of spells do leprechauns use? Lucky Charms!
• Why do leprechauns hate running? They’d rather jig than jog.
• Why do leprechauns love to garden? They have green thumbs!
• What happens if a leprechaun falls into the ocean? He gets wet, of course.
• Why shouldn’t you borrow money from a leprechaun? Because they’re always a little short.
• Do leprechauns make good secretaries? Sure, they’re great at shorthand!
• When does a leprechaun cross the road? When it turns green!
• Why did the leprechaun climb over the rainbow? To get to the other side!
• What do you call a leprechaun who broke the law? A lepre-con!
• How did the leprechaun win the race? He took a shortcut.

Shamrock Jokes 

• What do you call a fake Irish stone? A shamrock!
• Why shouldn’t you iron a four-leaf clover? You might press your luck!
• Why do we wear shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day? Because real rocks are too heavy.
• What kind of music should you listen to on St. Patrick’s Day? Sham-rock and roll.
• Where can you always find a shamrock? In the dictionary.
• What did one shamrock say to the other when it saw a leprechaun? Look clover there.
• What do you say if you lose a game on St. Patrick’s Day? Game clover.
• What do you say to the smartest person you know on St. Patrick’s Day? You’re very clover!
• What does it mean if you find a four-leaf clover? That you have too much time on your hands! 
• What's an Irish jig at McDonald's called? A Shamrock Shake.

Knock-Knock Jokes

• Knock, knock! Who's there? Warren. Warren who? Warren anything green for St. Patrick's Day?
• Knock, knock! Who's there? Irish. Irish who? Irish you a happy St. Patrick's Day!
• Knock, knock! Who's there? Pat. Pat who? Pat on your shoes and let's get to the St. Patrick's Day party!

Knock, knock! Who's there? Erin. Erin who? Erin go bragh(Ireland Forever)!

• Knock, knock! Who's there? Clover. Clover who? Clover here and I'll tell you!

FUN ST. PATRICK'S DAY RELATED GAMES TO PLAY

Here a few websites for online games and activities the students can play as well:

https://www.primarygames.com/holidays/st.patricksday/games.php

Hangman game 

https://wordville.com/stP/stPatHangman.html

 Decoding game Irish sayings

https://wordville.com/stP/irishCryptGame.html

ANSWER KEY

ST PATRICKS DAY FOR KIDS VIDEO

1) On what day is Saint Patrick's Day?

5. March 16th
6. March 17th
7. March 18th
8. March 19h

2)

Fill the gap: He became the patron saint of ______Ireland__________________

3) Saint Patrick's Day is to celebrate...

4. Saint Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland
5. Irish Culture
6. The United Kingdom

4)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick escaped after he had a _____vision________

5) Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, but the "snakes" was a symbol for...

5. snakes
6. paganism
7. spiders
8. Christianity

6)

Fill the gap: A leprechaun guards a ___pot of gold_____ at the end of the ____rainbow____.

7) How did the leprechauns get their gold?

4. They got it from Vikings.
5. They got it from pirates.
6. They got it from kings.

8) How do we celebrate the holiday?

6. Wear green.
7. Watch parades.
8. Eat turkey.
9. Go trick-or-treating.
10. Go to parties.

9)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick used the ____ shamrock___to talk about the Holy Trinity.

10)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick's Day happens in the _______middle_______ of Lent.

11)

Fill the gap: Saint Patrick's Day is a ______ break____ from Lent.

St. Patrick’s Day Crossword 

ACROSS

2. snakes

4. shamrock

6. leprechaun

7 clover

9. gold 

12. emerald

13. jig

14. harp

DOWN

1.Patrick

3. rainbow

5. blarney

8. green

10. Dublin

11. March

Dagda’s Magic Harp Answers

1. a

2.c

3.b

4.c

5.b

6. a

7.a

8.a

9.c

St. Patrick’s Lucky Idiom Story 

Idioms in the story: 

lucky streak

 string of good luck

 pot of gold 

lucky dog

wished upon a lucky star

 thank your lucky stars 

tough luck 

the luck of the Irish 

You have to be good to be lucky

 darn my luck 

should be so lucky 

down on his luck 

lucked out 

push your luck / push my luck

stroke of good luck 

luck of the draw

pure luck 

try your luck 

Missing lyric words: When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

There's a tear in your eye,
And I'm wondering why,
For it never should be there at all.
With such pow'r in your smile,
Sure a stone you'd beguile,
So there's never a teardrop should fall.
When your sweet lilting laughter's
Like some fairy song,
And your eyes twinkle bright as can be;
You should laugh all the while
And all other times smile,
And now, smile a smile for me.

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away. 

For your smile is a part
Of the love in your heart,
And it makes even sunshine more bright.
Like the linnet's sweet song,
Crooning all the day long,
Comes your laughter  so tender and light.
For the springtime of life
Is the sweetest of all
There is ne'er a real care or regret;
And while springtime is ours
Throughout all of youth's hours,
Let us smile each chance we get.

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.