Irish for a day!

St Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 each year. It remembers St Patrick, a missionary who converted many of Ireland's inhabitants to Christianity in the 5th century. 

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Nothern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Monserrat. 
It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United Statesm Argentina, Australia and New Zeland.

St. patrick's day powerpoint from mariaabilleira

                  Saint Patrick's Day Symbols

The Shamrock

One traditional symbol of Saint Patrick's Day is the Shamrock.

"Shamrock" is the common name for several different kinds of three-leaved clovers native to Ireland.

The shamrock was chosen Ireland's national emblem because of the legend that St. Patrick had used it to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity is the idea that God is really three-in-one: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Patrick demonstrated the meaning of the Three-in-One by picking a shamrock from the grass growing at his feet and showing it to his listeners. He told them that just as the shamrock is one leaf with three parts, God is one entity with three Persons.

The Irish have considered shamrocks as good-luck symbols since earliest times, and today people of many other nationalities also believe they bring good luck.

Leprechauns

The name leprechaun comes from the old Irish word "luchorpan" which means "little body."

A leprechaun is an Irish fairy who looks like a small, old man about 2 feet tall. He is often dressed like a shoemaker, with a crooked hat and a leather apron.

According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly. They live alone, and pass the time making shoes. They also have a hidden pot of gold!

Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If the leprechaun is caught, he can be threatened with bodily violence to tell where his treasure is, but the leprechaun's captors must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun - he's known to trick them into looking away - he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

The Colour Green

Believe it or not, the colour of St. Patrick was not actually green, but blue! In the 19th century, however, green became used as a symbol for Ireland. In Ireland, there is plentiful rain and mist, so the 'Emerald Isle' really is green all year-round. The beautiful green landscape was probably the inspiration for the national colour.

Wearing the colour green is considered an act of paying tribute to Ireland. It is said that it also brings good luck, especially when worn on St. Patrick's Day.

Many long years ago, playful Irish children began the tradition of pinching people who forgot to wear green on St. Patrick's Day and the tradition is still practiced today.

St.Patrick's festival in Dublin

St.Patrick's Day in London

St.Patrick's Day in Belfast

St.Patrick's Day in New York

Saint Patrick's Day song