Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the library

Joanna Howard, Branch Manager, La Barge Branch Library
Posted 3/17/21

Did you know that you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (and other holidays) with your library?

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Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the library

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Put on your green, it’s St. Patrick’s Day! March 17 has been the day to observe the death of St. Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland, for over 1,000 years. The day is used to celebrate Irish culture with parades, beer, leprechauns and shamrocks. This holiday is definitely a fun one. Here are some St. Patty’s Day facts.

-Saint Patrick was born in Wales (Britain), not Ireland. 

-Legend has it that he banished all the snakes from Ireland, but snakes have never been native to the country.

-Ireland’s national flower is the shamrock.

-In Ireland, prior to the 1970s, the day was considered a religious holiday.

-The Chicago River has been dyed green every year since 1962 in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

-The first known St. Patty’s parade was held in Florida in 1601.

-New York City has hosted a St. Patty’s parade every year since 1762, with one exception — in 2020 (Think COVID-19)

-Originally, blue was the color associated with the holiday. Around the 17th century, it became popular to wear green ribbons and shamrocks.

-A shamrock and four leaf clover are two different plants. Shamrocks have only three leaves. Four leaf clovers are considered lucky, because they are so rare.

-Corned beef and cabbage is an American tradition.

Did you know that you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (and other holidays) with your library?  We can help you find holiday specific books to read with your kids. We also have books about celebrations and festivals from around the world.  Check out your library’s Facebook page or the calendar at linclib.org for virtual story time and activities dedicated to each holiday.