St. Patrick's Day celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and honors St. Patrick, the patron saint who was born in the 4th century, enslaved for six years, and is credited with using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. The day is marked by public parades, festivals, and the wearing of green, symbolizing Irish heritage. Key historical points include St. Patrick's death on March 17, 493 AD, and the first St. Patrick's parade in New York in 1762.

2. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ST. PATRICK’S DAY?
 Have you ever heard of St. Patrick’s Day?
 Where does this celebration come from? Where is it celebrated?
 Who is honored in this day?
 Which is the story behind this day?
 What is typical from St. Patrick's Day?

3. WHERE IS ST. PATRICK’S DAY FROM?
IRELAND

4. IRELAND

5.  Patron saint & national apostle of Ireland
 He wrote Confessio and Epistola
 He was born in the Roman Britain in the 4th
Century
 Captured & taken to Ireland, working as a
slave
 herding sheep
 Escaped to Britain & converted to Christianity
 Returned to Ireland in his 20s
SAINT PATRICK

6. Time for a little bit of history! You will be shown a video
which summarizes the life of St. Patrick. During this first
watch, just focus on watching it and trying to understand as
much as you can:
SAINT PATRICK’S HISTORY

8. SAINT PATRICK’S HISTORY
Now it is time to watch the video for a second time. Try to focus on the specific information
needed to understand the following questions:
1) When was Patrick officially named saint?
2) Did Patrick really drive all the snakes from
Ireland?
3) Which was the official religion of the
Roman Empire?
4) What happened to Patrick by the age of 16?
5) How many years was Patrick a slave?
6) Who told Patrick to go back to Ireland 20
years after he escaped?
7) What did Patrick used to explain the
Irish the Holy Trinity?
8) What is the Holy Trinity?
9) How did the Irish see the shamrock?
10) When did St. Patrick die?
What do you think the snakes symbolize?

9. 7) What did Patrick used to explain the
Irish the Holy Trinity? Shamrock
8) What is the Holy Trinity? God is one god
but three persons
9) How did the Irish see the shamrock? As a
sacred symbol
10) When did St. Patrick die? March 17th, 493
AD
What do you think the snakes symbolize? The
“evil” Pagans
SAINT PATRICK’S HISTORY
1) When was Patrick officially named saint?
No church has ever officially named him
Saint.
1) Did Patrick really drive all the snakes from
Ireland? No
2) Which was the official religion of the
Roman Empire? Christianity
3) What happened to Patrick by the age of 16?
Irish piratestook him as their prisoner
1) How many years was Patrick a slave?
6 years
1) Who told Patrick to go back to Ireland 20
years after he escaped? God

10. THE SHAMROCK

11. ST. PATRICK’S DAY

12. ST. PATRICK’S DAY
 What do we celebrate?
 How is it celebrated?
 Where and when was the first St.
Patrick’s parade?
 Why wearing green clothes and
shamrocks?
 The luck of the Irish

13. ST. PATRICK’S DAY
 What do we celebrate?
o Arrival of Christianity to Ireland
o The Irish heritage & culture
 How is it celebrated?
o Public parades & festivals
o Céilithe
o Wearing of the green
 Where and when was the first St. Patrick’s
parade?
o New York, 1762
 Why wearing green clothes and shamrocks?
o Ireland = “Emerald isle”
o Color used by several revolutionary
groups in Ireland
o Celebrate the spirit of the Irish
 The luck of the Irish:
o Wear green
o Find a four-leaf clover
o Kiss the blarney stone
o Catch a leprechaun if you can!

14. ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Dyeing the Chicago river
green for Saint Patrick’s Day!
Since 1962.

15. LEPRECHAUNS
Fairies paid the leprechauns for their work
with golden coins, which they collect in large
pots - the famous “pots of gold” often
associated with
leprechauns.
It is said that if you follow a leprechaun, you
could discover where it’s hidden the
treasure!