Saint Patrick’s Life

Saint Patrick is the

patron saint of Ireland.

St. Patrick was born in Wales in the

5th Century.

He was taken to Ireland as a slave when

he was 16, but he escaped after 6 years.

Saint Patrick died on the 17th March,

which is when Saint Patrick’s Day is
celebrated every year.
Saint Patrick’s Day Traditions

Saint Patrick’s Day became an official

holiday in Ireland in 1903.

There are lots of different traditions

for celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day.

Let’s have a look at a few from

Ireland and from around the world
 Saint Patrick’s Day Traditions

People wear green on Some people go to

church in the morning. In
Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day People take part in
Some people wear
has primarily been a special parades.
costumes or funny hats. religious festival.
 Saint Patrick’s Day Traditions

Canada UK

USA

Australia

New
Zealand

St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish national holiday but it is also celebrated in the UK, the
USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
 Saint Patrick’s Day Traditions
New York

The biggest Saint Patrick’s Day

parade is in New York.

It has been going for over 250 years.

The Empire State Building even turns

on green lights for the occasion.

Photo courtesy of Boris Dzhingarov (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
 Saint Patrick’s Day Traditions
The UK

Birmingham holds the largest

Saint Patrick’s Day parade in the UK
with a city centre parade that is over 2
miles long. It is the third biggest
parade after New York and Dublin.

In Trafalgar Square, London there is a

parade and festival and the water in
the fountains is dyed green.
 Saint Patrick’s Day Symbols
The Shamrock

The colour green is used to represent

Ireland and Saint Patrick because of
the shamrock.
 Saint Patrick’s Day Symbols
Leprechauns

The leprechaun is a type of fairy usually

taking the form of an old man who enjoys
mischief.

In stories, they make shoes and store away

coins in pots of gold hidden at the end of
rainbows.