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Growing up, St. Patrick’s Day meant two things: First, that we’d have corned beef and cabbage and mashed potatoes for dinner. And second, it meant dancing.
Usually, the corned beef would be on a different night than St. Patrick’s Day, because the entire week found us at different retirement homes in the afternoons and evenings with my fellow Irish dancers, performing dances for the residents.
There’s a lot of Irish history and beauty to discover and explore, so take the opportunity this year — whether you’re a native Irishman and bleed green or you’re not Irish in the least and never wanted to be! — to learn a little more about the day by celebrating with your kids. Here are six ways to do that.
Learn the true story of St. Patrick
Try this audio book narrated by John Rhys-Davies (find it on Audible also) and/or watch this video for kids about St. Patrick on Formed (many parishes offer free subscriptions to parishioners, check out your bulletin or parish website for how to sign up).
Practice an Irish jig
Watch this video and have everyone learn a few simple steps. Here’s an article to read, and a
. Then turn on an Irish jig on Spotify or YouTube and have everyone try the steps to music. Remember, hands by your sides, chin up, and smile!Eat something green with every meal
Kiwi, celery, broccoli, spinach, avocado, pistachio, mint, etc. Look up pictures of Ireland to help your kids envision why green is so associated with Ireland, and thus, St. Patrick. If you want some additional entertainment, and a bit of beautiful Irish scenery to boot, check out these movies that celebrate Ireland.
Hunt for clover at a park or in your backyard
Get in a little exercise and fresh air while you’re at it (assuming the outdoors in your part of the world is not covered in snow!). Explain St. Patrick’s analogy of the Trinity using a three leaf shamrock. No analogy is perfect, so for a laugh for the adults and teens,
about the theological complications of the shamrock analogy.Discuss the potato famine in Irish history, and use potatoes to make potato stamps.
Most libraries have hand-picked selections on display related to Ireland or St. Patrick. If there is nothing about Irish history, a quick search of the library catalog should give you some kid-friendly and adult-friendly options to read up on the potato famine. Here is a way to make a stamp with just a potato, a knife, and some paint. A shamrock is an easy shape to make. Using the potato stamp, you could also put together a few St. Patrick’s day cards and surprise some relatives or neighbors.
Go to Mass together
Parishes often have extra times for daily Mass during Lent, so see if a local church has one that works with your schedule. On your way there, talk about how St. Patrick was a priest and bishop who brought the Mass and Eucharist to Ireland. That is why we celebrate today, because Patrick helped bring the people of Ireland the grace of the sacraments and the knowledge of God that they so desperately needed. Patrick sacrificed his family, his homeland, and much of his life. Use the time in the car before or after Mass to discuss what we can learn from his life. Are we giving everything we can to God, in our current state of life? What more can we give? How can we bring Jesus to others near us who don’t know Him?
St. Patrick, pray for us!
And today we celebrate...