Everybody's Irish on Saint Patrick's Day!

Today, most likely no matter where you are in the world you'll be seeing an awful lot of green! Traditionally an Irish celebration, the popularity of St. Patrick's day continues to spread, weaving it's customs through countless cultures. So whether you're watching the parade through New York City or partying in the crowded streets of Tokyo- you'll probably be surrounded by people dressed head to toe in green, green and gold beads, and a beer in their hand. 

Since the very first Saint Patrick's Festival held in Ireland in 1996, holiday celebrations have spread to almost a five day event. Aside from Dublin, one of the biggest holiday celebrations includes the location of where Saint Patrick is rumored to have been buried- Downpatrick, County Down.

Montreal takes the prize for one of the longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parades throughout North America, being home to various holiday parades since 1824. 

Even people in Asia are starting to catch the Irish fever. Japan is now home to nine parades across the country- its first parade being put together by the Irish Network Japan in the early nineties. Seoul has been getting in the spirit of things since 1976, when the Irish Association of Korea organized their first parade.  

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

On Saint Patrick's Day everyone is Irish, so join the other billions of people around the world by cracking open a Guinness and putting on something green! 

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Celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a Family

Saint Patrick’s Day is a chance for the world to celebrate Irish culture and heritage. Whether you're Irish or not, Saint Patrick’s Day is a wonderful excuse to make some crafts, cook up an Irish recipe with your parents, or learn Irish history.

So take some time this week and plan a fun activity to involve your entire family.  Below are some of our favorite ideas.  

Patrick’s Day? The color green, of course! Green shamrocks, green punch, green sprinkles on cookies, green everything! This color game will not only reinforce your child’s recognition of things that are green, but also gives her reading and listening skills a work out.

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What You Need:

• Green construction paper
• Heart shaped craft punch
• Glue
• Jumbo index or flash cards, approximately 4” x 6"
• Black marker

What to Do:

1. Use the heart punch to make 80 hearts from the green construction paper. You will make 20 cards, each with a shamrock that is comprised of four hearts.
2. On 20 of the green hearts, write the name of an object that is widely known as green, such as grass, pickle, or tree.
3. On 60 of the green hearts, write the name of an object that is not typically green, such as cloud, mailbox, or dog.
4. Each card will have four hearts on it; one with a green object written on it and three with non-green objects on it. Glue all of the hearts onto the index cards in a shamrock shape.
5. Challenge your child to see if she can identify the color of each object, just by seeing and hearing the word.
6. Point to the number at the top of each card and explain that there are either one, two, or three out of the four objects that are green and that she is to guess which ones they are. Rotate the card in a circular pattern as you read each word out loud, to make it easier for your child to read them.
7. If she can’t remember all four objects, make sure to repeat them for her before she ventures a guess.