Name: Class: Date:

Gap Fill
Fill in the gaps with the correct word.

Saint Patrick
symbol, starvation, sprung, ethnic, bishop, feast, converting, pagans, immigrants,
political, homeland

The History of St. Patrick’s Day

Lots of Americans from a variety of backgrounds celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick is a saint in the Catholic faith, the patron saint of
Ireland. Saints have a day set aside in their honour and St.
Patrick’s feast day, St. Patrick’s Day, is March 17. Everybody is Irish on
St. Patrick’s Day! St. Patrick lived in the fourth century A.D. and became
not only a Christian but a in the Catholic Church. He is
credited with many of the Gaelic Irish people of his day, who
were , to Christianity. He spent twenty years traveling
through Ireland building schools, churches and monasteries. Over the
centuries many legends have up about St. Patrick. Of course,
Irish people would celebrate the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland.
They would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.
Even before the United States was formed as a country, there were St.
Patrick’s Day celebrations. Irish in Boston, Massachusetts
first celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in 1737. The Irish soldiers serving the
British government in colonial America staged the first St. Patrick’s Day
parade in 1762 in New York City. Many Irish families, about one million
Irish people, left their in the mid-1800s because of the Great
Potato Famine and came to the United States to avoid . With
so many Irish coming to America, unfortunately they were not welcomed
with open arms by others. “No Irish need apply” was posted with job
openings; discrimination was obvious. But Irish voters realized that they
had power and their voting together as a block became
known as “the green machine.” The St. Patrick’s Day parade became a
political and prominent politicians wanted to be seen in
attendance.
gap-fill www.edu-games.org
 Answer Sheet
Gap Fill
Fill in the gaps with the correct word.

Saint Patrick
symbol, starvation, sprung, ethnic, bishop, feast, converting, pagans, immigrants,
political, homeland

The History of St. Patrick’s Day

Lots of Americans from a variety of ethnic backgrounds celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick is a saint in the Catholic faith, the patron saint of
Ireland. Saints have a feast day set aside in their honour and St.
Patrick’s feast day, St. Patrick’s Day, is March 17. Everybody is Irish on
St. Patrick’s Day! St. Patrick lived in the fourth century A.D. and became
not only a Christian but a bishop in the Catholic Church. He is
credited with converting many of the Gaelic Irish people of his day, who
were pagans , to Christianity. He spent twenty years traveling
through Ireland building schools, churches and monasteries. Over the
centuries many legends have sprung up about St. Patrick. Of course,
Irish people would celebrate the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland.
They would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.
Even before the United States was formed as a country, there were St.
Patrick’s Day celebrations. Irish immigrants in Boston, Massachusetts
first celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in 1737. The Irish soldiers serving the
British government in colonial America staged the first St. Patrick’s Day
parade in 1762 in New York City. Many Irish families, about one million
Irish people, left their homeland in the mid-1800s because of the Great
Potato Famine and came to the United States to avoid starvation . With
so many Irish coming to America, unfortunately they were not welcomed
with open arms by others. “No Irish need apply” was posted with job
openings; discrimination was obvious. But Irish voters realized that they
had political power and their voting together as a block became
known as “the green machine.” The St. Patrick’s Day parade became a
political symbol and prominent politicians wanted to be seen in
attendance.
gap-fill www.edu-games.org