Did you enjoy St. Patrick’s Day activities when you were still a kid? No matter what your answer is there should be no excuse as to why your preschooler should not be able to cherish this precious holiday so here is somehow a refresher of the things that you should know about this wonderful holiday.
Who is St. Patrick?
St. Patrick’s feast day falls on the 17th of March and he is the patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century and was kidnapped and taken to Ireland to be a slave. He was able to escape around 432 to bring Christianity to the Irish people. By the time of his death, he already was able to establish monasteries, schools, and churches. Ireland then came to celebrate his day with religious feasts and services.
Why is St.Patrick Famous?
Even before his death, he already was able to establish a certain identity for himself. He used a shamrock for explaining the Trinity. It could not be proven true but Irish people traditionally wear a shamrock as a symbol of the cross. Though it is known that there are no snakes in Ireland, it was said that St.Patrick drove the snakes out of the country. Later on, the snakes were used as a metaphor for paganism. He also was known and claimed to be born and die on the same date as his feast, but the claim is still considered to be an unlikely instance.
What Are the Famous Traditions During St. Patrick’s Day?
St.Patrick’s day is full of colors. Children, teens, even adults gather to witness the parade. Somehow the parade is full of everything Irish but American inventions and influence was then associated with it through time.
Irish Music
Any parade has music and St. Patrick’s Day will never be off the list. Music has already been a great part of Irish life even from the ancient day of the celts. This has been from the Celts’ oral culture where religion, legend, and history are passed on to the next generation through stories and songs.
When the Irish were conquered by the English people, they were forbidden to speak their own language which led them to turn to music to help them remember important events and to be able to hold on to their history and heritage.
The Snake
During St. Patrick’s mission in Ireland, he stood on a hilltop with only a wooden staff by his side to banish all the snakes in Ireland. What’s intriguing about it is that everyone knows that there are no snakes in Ireland because of the country’s geographical location. this act of banishing the snakes describes one’s desire to eradicate the pagan ideology from Ireland for the triumph of Christianity.
Corned Beef
During this holiday, people gather with their loved ones to share a traditional St.Patrick’s Day meal of corned beef and cabbage. Being one of the staples in an Irish menu, its association with corned beef is no longer a mystery. Some Irish immigrants living in the lower East side of New York City has learned to substitute corned beef for a piece of traditional Irish bacon for them to save money.
The Leprechaun
Another icon of the Irish holiday is the leprechaun. It has an original Irish name of lobaircin which means small-bodied fellow. Irish people have a belief that leprechauns might have probably stemmed from Celtic beliefs in fairies. These are tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to do either good or evil.
The Celtic folktales tells that these creatures mends the shoes of other fairies and that they have cranky souls. Their trickery is what they use to protect their much-fabled treasures. Though they have their own holiday, people still celebrate them during the feast of St. Patrick ad a lot of children often dress up as wily fairies.
The Shamrocks
Also called the “seamroy” by the Celtic people, it is known to be a sacred plant in ancient Ireland. People then also began to use this plant to describe the rebirth of spring. It has even become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism during the 17th century. Many Irish people began to wear shamrock to symbolize their pride and honor in the Irsih heritage when they converted to Christianity.
St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Preschoolers
Celebrating holidays is for each member of the family but somehow gives more importance to how children will be able to enjoy the celebrations. Apart from attending the usual parade during a feast, there is still a lot that you can do with your kiddos for them to enjoy the celebration. Here are some of the most engaging and fun St. Patrick’s Day activities that yo can try with your kids:
1.Gold Slime
It is a fun gold slime game! You get to enjoy a pot of gold coins.
2. Rainbow Fluffy Slime
We all know that the feast of St.Patrick is full of colors so adding a little rainbow to the celebration will not hurt.
3. St.Patrick’s Day Discovery Bottles
Did you know your kids can learn while playing? Yes! you just need to make sensory and simple science bottles for that tiny hands to explore.
4. Coin Hunt
You can opt for a science-filled gold coin hunt with an easy baking soda science that your preschoolers will surely love
5. Shaving Cream Coin Hunt
This could be messy but definitely worth the fun and experience.
6. Leprechaun Puppets
You can make some fun by making puppets from the shape of tiny fairies or leprechauns
7. Dress Up Game
Of course, who would never want to dress up for St.Patrick’s Day? You can score for a quick green outfit for an entirely different parade experience.
8. Leprechaun Matching Game
Yes, as simple as it sounds, this game is one of the easiest ways to make your preschooler enjoy St.Patrick’s day. You just need to prepare your leprechaun cutouts and you are good to go!
9. St.Patrick’s Day Vocabulary Word Cards
Just prepare printable word cards in a pocket chart. This can help develop your child’s vocabulary while having fun.
10. Pot of Gold Counting Game
A real fun Math game that allows your preschooler to learn basic counting skills with the use of gold coins.
Wherever you came from, one thing is for sure and that is the fact that you are also celebrating your own holidays but when it comes to Irish people, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most important feasts. This is their way of honoring their patron saint by holding on to their roots and heritage, which probably is very vital in keeping everything in history.
Just like every holiday, children always have a special place in our hearts so we always make sure that they get to enjoy every celebration in the best way possible. If you share the same belief with us that learning should be both fun and efficient, call us now so we can discuss other St. Patrick’s Day activities for your preschoolers!
