Celebrate St. Patrick this St. Patrick's Day

Learn about the patron saint of Ireland and how the Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Keeping in mind how Irish-Americans have changed the holiday, celebrate St. Patrick in your own way with a variety of St. Patrick's day crafts.

Table of Contents

Where and When was St. Patrick’s Day Born?

How the Irish Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

How do We Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Our Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Craft Projects

Gifts

Home Decor

Where and When was St. Patrick’s Day Born?

The Irish have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day as a religious holiday for more than a thousand years. St. Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, but as ordained bishop preached his love of Christianity all over Ireland for 40 years. At the time, Ireland was Druid and pagan. He died in Ireland in 433, in Saul, Downpatrick, where he established the first Christian church in Ireland.
 

St. Patrick became the patron saint of Ireland and many legends have emerged about his contribution to the country. One credits St. Patrick with driving the snakes from Ireland, though of course Ireland likely never had snakes and this is perhaps only a metaphor for the Druidism. Another which is probably true is that St. Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock or clover to explain the Trinity to the Irish. Thus, the clover continues to be a popular symbol of St. Patrick’s Day.

How the Irish Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated only as a religious holiday in Ireland until very recently. In fact, pubs in Ireland were closed on St. Patrick’s Day until the 1970s. In the 1990s, the Irish government began a campaign to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a secular holiday also promoting Irish culture and encouraging tourism to Ireland. Now, Dublin hosts a spectacular four-day festival on St. Patrick’s Day weekend featuring concerts, fireworks and more.

Interestingly enough, the first St. Patrick’s day parades were not held in Ireland, but were organized in the United States by Irish immigrants in New York and Boston. The first was held in New York in March 17, 1762.
 

How do We Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Our Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Craft Projects

Whether you have Irish heritage or just want to celebrate, we have a variety of craft projects just for St. Patrick’s Day.

Gifts

Celtic crosses, Celtic knots and other Celtic jewelry are beautiful any time of year, but you can make a cool Celtic charm or Celtic pendant necklace to give as a gift on St. Patrick’s Day. These green heart key rings also make lovely gifts on St. Patrick’s Day.
 

Get together with friends to make a four-leaf clover charm, green beaded shamrock necklace, or lucky charm earrings. You can wear them out on the town after completion and they are pretty enough to wear all year round.

Decor

For fun décor on St. Patrick’s Day, whip together a festive St. Patrick’s Day wreath, with green ribbons and clovers. With scraps of left-over green fabric, you can create fabric shamrocks to hang as ornaments or string together as garland.

With simple painting skills, you can create a pretty Irish Shamrock plate to serve your St. Patrick’s day recipes. Serve your St. Patrick’s Day dessert recipe or party treats on this fun “Kiss Me I’m Irish” plate.

A fun leprechaun yard sign outside your door invite friends and neighbors in for the festivities and might even bring you luck on St. Patrick’s Day.