St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated March 17, especially in Ireland and in cities with large Irish populations such as Chicago, Boston and New York. Saint Patrick is known for converting many Irish people to Christianity. According to legend, Saint Patrick held up a shamrock and used the clover to teach people the idea of the Holy Trinity, a Christian concept of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In Chicago, we have a parade and dye the Chicago River green. Our family celebrates by going to my grandma’s house for a dinner of corned beef, cabbage and Irish soda bread. We also watch Darby O'Gill and the Little People.
Learn the history of the holiday or test your knowledge with St. Patrick's Day by Dorothy Rhodes Freeman.
One of the most famous myths about Saint Patrick is that he chased the snakes out of Ireland and into the sea. The legend is that snakes used to slither through the city and would even go into people’s homes. Read The Last Snake in Ireland to find out if Saint Patrick can chase the last snake out of Ireland.
Pete the Cat is back for another adventure in The Great Leprechaun Chase.The day before St. Patrick’s Day, Pete’s teacher tells the class that catching a leprechaun means they will get good luck, but they can only catch one on St. Patrick’s Day. Pete follows a rainbow and finds a very tricky leprechaun named Clover. Will Pete be able to outsmart Clover?
Leprechaun in Late Winter is set in Ireland in 1862. Jack and Annie try to help a little girl named Augusta find out what makes her happy. When Augusta disappears into a fairy world, can the kids and a leprechaun named Willy bring her back to her family?
For more folktales like the ones explored in the Magic Treehouse, dig into Leprechauns and Irish Folklore. This nonfiction book has lots of Jack-approved facts about the oral tradition, Irish legends and “wee folk.”
In Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka, a lazy man named Jamie O’Rourke is visited by a magical animal called a Pooka. The Pooka comes at night and does all Jamie’s chores. Can Jamie’s luck last forever? Will he never have to clean his room again? Or is the Pooka too good to be true?
What traditions does your family celebrate on St. Patrick's Day?
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