Fun Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Kids!

Are you looking for fun things to do with the kids on St. Patrick’s Day? Even if you aren’t Irish, it can fun to join in and celebrate the day. I’ve rounded up some fun ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with kids along with some facts about the day!

The Origin of St. Patrick’s Day

The History of St. Patrick’s Day is about more than being Irish and drinking beer. St. Patrick is actually credited with bringing Christianity to the country of Ireland.

From History.com:

Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain and was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well-known legend is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.

Fun Facts:

It was originally a ‘dry’ holiday- For most of the 20th century, Saint Patrick’s Day was considered a strictly religious holiday in Ireland, which meant that the nation’s pubs were closed for business on March 17. (The one exception went to beer vendors at the big national dog show, which was always held on Saint Patrick’s Day.) In 1970, the day was converted to a national holiday, and the stout resumed flowing. –From Mental Floss

There’s no corn in Corned Beef- Corned beef and cabbage, a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day staple, doesn’t have anything to do with the grain corn. Instead, it’s a nod to the large grains of salt that were historically used to cure meats, which were also known as “corns.” –From Mental Floss

The Shamrock- Legend has it St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, by showing an unbeliever the three-leafed plant with one stalk.

Green? – the color originally associated with Saint Patrick was blue

He was born in Britain- Despite his Irish notoriety, Saint Patrick was British; born to Roman parents in Scotland or Wales in the late fourth century. He was kidnapped, brought up in Ireland and then eventually returned back to Ireland.