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Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in the United States on March 17. It's neither a public holiday (we still have work and school) nor a serious holiday. It's just a fun holiday.

Vocabulary

	emigrate- leave from a country to move to another
	century- 100 years
	religious- having to do with church or god
	pinch- to squeeze something, to hurt someone by squeezing their skin with your finger and thumb
	shamrock- a plant with 3 leaves like in the pictures
	pub- bar/ tavern, a place to drink beer or other alcohol
	marathon- a long running race (like a 10K run)
	pretend- play, act like someone else

Reading

Many Irish people have emigrated from Ireland to the United States over the last few centuries. They brought St. Patrick's Day with them. St. Patrick's Day is a serious religious holiday in Ireland, but it has been changed quite a bit in America.

Today in America people enjoy St. Patrick's Day by wearing green. In fact, if you don't wear at least one small green item, school children may pinch you. Probably the most common symbol for this holiday is the shamrock. Since the shamrock has three leaves, thousands of years ago St. Patrick (a religious leader) used it to teach the Irish people about the three parts of God. Today many people wear a shamrock design on St. Patrick's Day because it is supposed to bring good luck.

On this day many people also enjoy going to a pub and drinking beer. They tell jokes and have a good time. People who don't come from Ireland like to pretend they are Irish, too. Some cities hold parades or marathons. It's not a very big holiday, but it can be a fun one for the people who want to enjoy it. It is very different kind of celebration from St. Patrick's Day in Ireland.

Questions and Answers

Write the answers in the blanks. Check your answers by clicking the arrows.

1. What day is St. Patrick's Day celebrated on?

2. Do people go to work and school on St. Patrick's Day?

3. What country did St. Patrick's Day come from?

4. What color do people wear on St. Patrick's Day?

5. If you don't wear that color, what will school children do to you?

6. Wearing a shamrock will bring you good ____.

7. Where do people go to drink beer?

8. In some cities people run in a _____ on St. Patrick's Day.

For more information on St. Patrick's Day, click here.

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