I always thought St. Patrick’s Day was a silly holiday. I’ve celebrated it the past few years because green was my son’s favorite color, more than that, he was obsessed with green, so to him, it was the best day ever! Now that I am homeschooling my kids and think about everything from an educational point of view, I wanted to learn the truth about St. Patrick. I began by looking for books about St. Patrick’s Day that were not just about leprechauns and pots of gold.
As I wrote around Thanksgiving time, I try to teach my kids truths about history as much as possible. Not just what we find in history books or is commonly accepted as truth. I want my kids to learn different sides of a story, background behind stories and traditions and use critical thinking to discern the truth. So, off to discover St. Paddy.
The article, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland vs. the United States, sums up pretty well why St. Patrick’s Day is so celebrated in America, more so than in Ireland. I will now wear green in pride of my immigrant Irish ancestors without so much question as to why in the world I’m encouraging this silly tradition!
Whether you’re celebrating or learning more about Irish heritage, Irish history or traditions, here are some fun books to read and discuss with your family. I’ve left leprechauns and shamrocks out, these are all books about St. Patrick, books about St. Patrick’s Day, with some good ol’ Irish Folk Tales thrown in.
Some related activities featured in these posts:
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Make some extra time to read with your kids this week.
Our Favorite Books about St. Patrick’s Day
List of St. Patrick’s Day Books
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh
St. Patrick’s Day (All About Holidays)
Patrick of Ireland (Christian Biographies for Young Readers)
Thank you for joining me for What to Read Wednesday.
Click here to see a complete list of What to Read Wednesday book topics. This is a great resource for planning themed unit studies or for encouraging your child’s current interests!
We have never read any of these books. Can’t wait to hit the library this week and check some of these books out.
It’s always interesting to learn about different holidays, cultures and festivals. Thanks for the book recommendations.