Facts!!

Facts about the Irish 

The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The color green is also commonly associated with Ireland, also known as “the Emerald Isle.”

      The Irish flag is green, white and orange. The green symbolizes the people of the south, and orange, the people of the north. White represents the peace that brings them together as a nation.
 

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    The name “lephrechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.”

        

        The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in the United States was held in Boston in 1737. The largest St. Patrick's Day parade is in New York City.

Facts about Clovers

·         According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!

·         One estimate suggests that there are about 10 000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.

     

·         Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

·         Shamrock is the national flower of Ireland. Many Irish people wear a shamrock on St. Patrick's Day but it is not the Irish national emblem, the harp has that honor. This explains the color green and shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day. Today, if you do not wear green on St. Patrick's Day, you will get pinched !!.

Coming up!!...Ireland week

Con motivo de la festividad de San Patricio, patrón de Irlanda, el día 17 de Marzo, desde el departamento de inglés dedicaremos la semana a aprender más sobre Irlanda, su historia, costumbres y tradiciones.

Irlanda es un país de tradición católica y cada 17 de Marzo conmemoran la muerte de San patricio, un misionero y sacerdote que introdujo el cristianismo en la isla. Aunque la fiesta comenzó siendo religiosa, hoy en día es celebrada tanto por cristianos como no cristianos por todo el mundo.

En Dublin,(capital de Irlanda), y en ciudades pobladas por irlandeses como Nueva York, Boston o Chicago, se celebra con desfiles y tiñendo de verde las ciudades…e incluso los ríos!!. El verde simboliza a Irlanda, también conocida como la “Isla Esmeralda” y su símbolo, el “Shamrock” o trébol.  La celebración se extiende durante 5 a 7 días en la actualidad y durante esta semana todo el mundo viste de verde y canta y baila al son de la música.

Saint Patrick’s Day

Patrick was born in Britain in the year 387, in roman times. His real name is Maewyn Succat. The name St. Patrick was given to him later in life by Pope Celestine.

When he was 16, he was captured and sold into slavery. After 6 years he had a dream that he would find a ship to take him to freedom. He managed to escape. Although Patrick was born a British, he considered himself an Irish because it was in Ireland that he discovered God. He was called to Rome and made a Bishop by Pope Celestine in 432 before he went on his mission to Ireland. It was during that occasion that the name "Patercius" or "Patritius" was given to him. The name comes from two Latin words, "pater civium" meaning "the father of his people".

St. Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. Some tales tell that he stood on a hill and used a wooden staff to drive the snakes into the sea and banished them forever from Ireland. Another legend says that the snake resisted. St. Patrick then tricked it into entering a small box and cast it into the sea. It is true that Ireland has no snakes!!.

The legend says that St. Patrick would use the shamrock to explain the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word "shamrock" comes from the Gaelic word "seamrog" (In irish, it means "summer plant") meaning "trefoil" (three leafed) or "little clover". It is also a sacred plant among the Druids.

St. Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on the 17 March, 461 A.D at the age of 76.

Next stop...Saint Patrick's Day!!

Hello everyone!,

our school will be celebrating Saint Patrick's Day next week. Saint Patrick's is the Patron Saint of Ireland. He expelled the snakes from ireland and spread Christianity all over the Ireland, using a Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. Here you are a very funny video to know a bit more about it:

You have two links on the right hand-side bar to lots of games, activities, printables and so on to discover more about Saint Patrick's, have a go!!!. Enjoy!!!

Clicar en los dos enlaces a juegos, actividades, fotocopiables y demás para descubrir mucho más sobre San Patricio. ¡Que lo disfrutéis!

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