Cantinflas body parts activity

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday in Ireland and the United States.

We celebrate differently in the United States than in Ireland.

In the United States, Saint Patrick’s Day is very fun! We drink beer and eat food. We usually have to work, though . . .

Saint Patrick’s Day is also about immigration! When we talk about Saint Patrick’s Day, we can talk about immigration, too.

Why?

Many people in the United States are Irish-American. Maybe their grandparents came from Ireland. Maybe their great-grandparents (their grandparents’ parents) came from Ireland.

More than 100 years ago, there was a famine in Ireland. A famine is when there is not enough food. Potatoes in Ireland had a disease. They could not eat the potatoes.

But there are lots of things to eat in Ireland! There are cows, there are chickens, and there are pigs. There is wheat. There is barley. There is rye. Why didn’t the Irish eat those?

History of Ireland

In the 1800s, Ireland belonged to England. The British government (government of England) had control over Ireland.

Many Irish were Catholics. Many British were Protestants. Both are types of Christianity. But they don’t like each other!

The British Protestants did not want the Irish to be Catholics. They made laws to keep Catholics from voting. Catholics could not own land.

The Irish were very poor. Their landlords (the people who owned the property they lived on) were British. They paid their rent in food instead of money! They gave all the wheat and barley to their landlords. Because of this, many people died! They starved to death, which is what happens when you do not have enough food.

If they did not give their food to their landlords, they were evicted (not allowed to stay on their land).
After they were evicted, many of them died! They could not find food.

Some of them didn’t die. Some of them moved to the United States. They also moved to other countries, like Canada, Argentina, and even Mexico!

That is why there are so many Irish-Americans.

Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland

A saint is person the Catholic Church says is very good or very important. In Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is different than in the United States. They do not drink a lot. Instead, they go to church!

Saint Patrick was a very important saint in Ireland. There is a story about him. This story was written very long after he died. Maybe it is not true.

Clover is a plant in Ireland. It has three leaves. In the Catholic religion, God has three parts. Saint Patrick used a clover to convince people to believe in Christianity. That is why the clover is important to the Irish. Sometimes, they call clover "shamrock." If someone says "shamrock," they are talking about a plant. 

I don’t know if that story is true! But it sounds pretty!

Learn more about the Great Irish Famine here, and learn about a group of American Indians that helped the Irish during the Famine here.

Comprehension Questions:

Why did the Irish die?

1. The British attacked them       c. They were lazy
2. There was not enough food    d. They could not vote

What is a clover?

1. A rock                                     c. a plant
2. A name for the British            d. a religion 

TRUE OF FALSE:

In the United States, they drink a lot of alcohol on Saint Patrick’s Day.

TRUE              FALSE

In Ireland, they drink a lot of alcohol on Saint Patrick’s Day.

            TRUE              FALSE