St. Patricks Day!

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Good afternoon!

Today you will... 

- learn more about St Patrick's Day  

- practice reading and listening skills 

What do you already know about St Pat's?

Saint Patrick

Find out why the Irish celebrate this legendary figure. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/

Legend has it that the reason there are no snakes in Ireland, is because St. Patrick drove them all into the sea!

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St. Patrick is the PATRON SAINT (patroonheilige; een soort religieuze mascotte) of Ireland. 

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St. Patrick lived during the 4th and 5th century.

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He was originally from Wales, but was kidnapped by Irish pirates when he was 16. He was brought to Ireland to work as a slave. He escaped back to Britain after six years.

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Ireland has been a Catholic nation ever since. Protestants came much later, when Britain sent Scottish lords to Ireland in an attempt to tame the wild country. 

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To this day, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide on the 17th of March. 

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He returned to Ireland when he grew up, where he became a bishop and spread the Catholic faith. 

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a line of people (or cars or lorries) that moves along a street to celebrate a special event or holiday

in reality; in fact

rich

to follow something quickly so that it will leave a place

according to what has been said or written by others

related to your ancestors (people in your family who lived many years ago)

a famous building or monument which is easy to recognise

to use a special substance to change the colour of something

    apparently

a parade

actually

to chase something

wealthy

to dye something

a landmark

ancestral

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Patrick first travelled to Ireland because he …

1. was forced to go
2. wanted to teach people about God
3. was ill

Did you know that Saint Patrick himself was not actually Irish? It is thought that he was either Scottish or Welsh, coming from a wealthy Christian family. Ancient documents suggest that, as a teenager, he was taken by Irish pirates to work as a slave in Ireland. Once in his new country, he began to talk to Irish people about God, introducing his Christian beliefs to the country. 

Scientists believe that Ireland has no native snakes because …

1. of the country's location
2. St Patrick chased them into the sea
3. the snakes come from other countries

Old legends say that, years ago, Ireland had a lot of snakes and that Saint Patrick used his powers to chase them all into the sea. To this day, Ireland has many old statues of Saint Patrick, often with snakes at his feet. Apparently, this is why Ireland has no native species of snakes (though most scientists suggest that this fact could be more related to geographical reasons!).

Saint Patrick's Day is the world's most popular …

1. celebration
2. ancestral celebration
3. festival from just one country

March 17 is a day for huge celebrations in Ireland. However, due to Ireland's history of emigration, many people around the world consider themselves to be partly Irish because of their ancestral connections. This means that Saint Patrick's Day parties take place around the world, from Boston to Tokyo, Sydney to Buenos Aires. In fact, Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.

The parade in the village of Dripsey is famous because it …

1. was not very long
2. was between two well-known pubs
3. included old tractors

Ireland itself is a relatively small country with few cities. However, most of its towns and villages have their own 'mini' parades. Sometimes, these simply include a few tractors and the children from the local school. The shortest known parade used to take place in the village of Dripsey, in southern Ireland. The length of the parade was just 23 metres, between the village's two pubs. However, the Dripsey parade came to an end when one of the two pubs sadly closed down!

In Chicago, the river is always green on Saint Patrick's Day because of …

1. small plants in the river
2. special lights on boats
3. a special green chemical

Another well-known aspect of Saint Patrick's Day is the colour green. Around the world, many people wear green clothes as a way of marking the day. In major cities, green lights illuminate famous global landmarks such as the Colosseum in Rome or the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. In Chicago, thousands of people watch as special boats dye the river a bright green colour. Students at Miami University in Ohio, USA, even have a 70-year-old tradition of drinking special green 'Saint Patrick's' beer!

In Ohio, special green beer is usually drunk by …

1. people over 70 years old
2. students
3. the Irish community

Another well-known aspect of Saint Patrick's Day is the colour green. Around the world, many people wear green clothes as a way of marking the day. In major cities, green lights illuminate famous global landmarks such as the Colosseum in Rome or the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. In Chicago, thousands of people watch as special boats dye the river a bright green colour. Students at Miami University in Ohio, USA, even have a 70-year-old tradition of drinking special green 'Saint Patrick's' beer!

Would you like to celebrate St. Patricks day? Why (not)?