'Tis the Irish

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, and you don't have to be Irish or Catholic to celebrate it. The concept of legendary heroes, particularly those who reflect the spirit of a country or other group, is universal. In this thematic set of activities, your family gets to explore various links to a real human legend. These activities can help you think of other cultural legends, and how they link us together.

CONNECT:

• What’s the story behind St. Patrick? Here’s a whole website about the day and the man: http://www.st-patricks-day.com/about_saintpatrick.html. It also features a cartoon video about St. Patrick.
• Why What other events and people are celebrated on March 17 (the date that St. Patrick died)? Find out at http://www.reference.com/thisday/
• Several symbols and traditions are associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Read about their meaning and origin at History Channel’s article:  http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-symbols-and-traditions.
• There are many Irish proverbs and sayings. See if you can figure out what they really mean: http://www.irishabroad.com/culture/proverbs/. For instance, “A good beginning is half the work.”

CREATE:

• Several myths about St. Patrick’s Day abound. Did he really drives all the snakes out of Ireland? Was he Irish? What is blarney? Referring to the National Geographic Society’s article about St. Patrick (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0315_050315_stpatricksday.html), create a “blarney” or trivia game about St. Patrick. See if players can guess which statements are facts or blarney. You can make up your own myths, or research more facts, and add them to the game.
• Enchanted Learning (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/stpatrick/) has lots of ideas for fun crafts for youngsters, many of them using items around the house.
• You don’t have to be Irish to eat like one. Here is a handful of traditional Irish recipes to try: http://www.history.com/topics/irish-recipes-st-patricks-day
• Have fun playing games with a St. Patrick’s Day theme: http://spoonful.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-games. You can change some of the details, and make them work for other holidays – or any day!

CARE:

• Saint Patrick was known for supporting the Irish, who were sometimes mistreated by others. Even today, some people are mistreated. Sometimes people who have disabilities, who are poor, or who are very young or very old may be mistreated. Cyberbullying is a form is mistreatment.  Here are some websites that can help you address cyberbullying mistreatment: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/, http://cyberbully411.org/, http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/index.html
• The potato is often associated with Ireland.  Find out what happened to the potato in Ireland: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/irish_potato_famine.cfm. Famines still occur in the world. For instance, East Africans suffer from hunger. CNN suggests ways that you can help: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/20/iyw.howtohelp.somalia.famine/index.html
• St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Most countries have special heroes who have cared for those people. Can you think of some? Ganghi? Martin Luther King? Can you think of someone who is a special hero to your area or your family? How can you be a special helper to others?

CAREER:

How might St. Patrick’s Day link to careers? You could become a historian, a religious leader, a party or events planner, a travel agent, a linguist, a costumer, a chef, a media maker. Or you might want to work in Ireland. It’s amazing how an interest can lead to a career. Get inspired by these ideas of travel-related careers.

http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-awesome-travel-jobs-and-how-to-get-them/