St. Patrick's Day

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Barbara J. Feldman

Since we're all Irish on St. Patrick's Day, here's a wee bit of history about our patron saint. St. Patrick was a Christian missionary credited with converting Ireland from paganism to Christianity. He lived at the end of the 4th century, and because that was so long ago, it is often difficult to separate St. Patrick facts from legends. Learn more about St. Patrick, leprechauns, and lucky shamrocks at the following St. Patrick's Day picks.

Black Dog: St. Patrick's Day History

4 stars

"The most famous legend about St. Patrick is that he miraculously drove snakes and all venomous beasts from Ireland by banging a drum. . . . However, this legend is probably a metaphor for his driving the pagans from Ireland, as snakes were often associated with pagan worship." Learn about the patron saint of Ireland, the legend of the serpents, shamrocks and leprechauns. When you're done, be sure to visit the games page. You'll find the St. Pat's Fun and Games link at the bottom of the page.

Enchanted Learning: St. Patrick's Day

5 stars

For St. Patrick's Day craft ideas and printable worksheets, Enchanted Learning is da bomb! Some of the best clicks are only for paying members, but among the free pages are instructions on making a kissable Blarney Stone, a template for cutting out a tiny leprechaun hat, an Ireland map and quiz, and my personal favorite Green Things. Green Things is an entire page devoted to all things green, from alligator to zucchini, including a green leprechaun marionette you can make from cardboard and paper connectors.

History Channel: History of St. Patrick's Day

5 stars

If you have a broadband connection, start your History Channel visit with the video clip, then peruse the menu on the left-hand side. I had always wondered why St. Patrick's Day was celebrated with corned beef and cabbage. Under "History of the Holiday" I learned that around the turn of the century, Irish immigrants in New York learned about corned beef from their Jewish neighbors, and paired it with their traditional cabbage as a low cost alternative to Irish bacon. Don't miss clicks include two quizzes and Literary Ireland.

Segmation: St. Patrick's Day Paint by Number

3 stars

Now for something completely different: online paint by numbers. Segmation provides a unique online coloring application with lots of bells and whistles. Take a little time to discover what all the icons do (such as enlarging the picture and starting and pausing the timer.) St. Patrick's Day is not the only holiday in the coloring collection. There is also Halloween, Valentine's Day and dozens of other themes such as cats, Van Gogh and Sponge Bob.

Teachnology: St. Patrick's Day Holiday Worksheets

5 stars

For classroom or homeschool, Teachnology has a fabulous collection of printable St. Patrick's Day activities for elementary and middle-school students. They range from silly (such as words to "I'm a Little Leprechaun" sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" ) to creative (prompts for writing exercises.) Some handouts are reserved for paying members, but don't let that stop you from visiting. For a good selection of St. Patrick's Day links (including lots of games) follow your mouse to St. Patrick's Day Teaching Themes.