Saint Patrick's Day

Who is Saint Patrick?

St. Patrick was the fifth century Roman-British Christian missionary and a Bishop in  

Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain in 386 AD. 

When he was 16 he was captured by Irish pirates and was sent to Ireland and forced into slavery. After 6 years of slavery Patrick had hoped that he could escape and study to become a priest to spread Christanity around Ireland. Patrick escaped by jumping on a ship bound for France. He returned to Britain to see his parents, then travelled back to Ireland because he wanted to teach the Irish about Christianity. 

At first, no one listened to him but soon people began to listen. Patrick set up more than 300 churches, and became a Bishop. He worked with the Irish until he died in 461 AD.

What Do People Do To Celebrate St Patrick's Day?

On the 17th March every year it is Saint Patrick Day - the death of Saint Patrick. It evolved into a celebration of Irish culture involving dancing, food and music. The Irish have a parade with bodhran and a shillelagh, they are both Irish instruments. They also do Irish dancing called ‘ceili’ (pronounced Kay-lee).  They have dressed in green since the 1680s. They also eat prepared food like corned beef and cabbage.

How Did We Celebrate at School?

On Thursday March 17th, our school celebrated St Patrick’s day by wearing something green. It could be green socks, hair ties, ribbons, hats and even a green t-shirt. 

In 6 Barron we decorated our classroom with a big, glittery, green shamrock banner. Mrs Barron put on Irish music and we did some fun Irish dancing! We learnt about St Patrick and Irish culture.