English

1st ESO Standard

2nd Term 2019-2020
WORK 1 - SAINT PATRICK’S DAY ACTIVITY

 Watch the following video and answer the questions. You can find the transcription of the video
below:

1. Watch the following video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjnJB_HSc2U

2. Read the transcription of the video below.

3. Look for information about Saint Patrick’s Day and answer the following questions.

A. HISTORY OF SAINT PATRICK

1. When do we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day?

2. Who is Saint Patrick?

3. Who is Maewyn Succat?

4. What is the meaning of “shamrock”?

5. How does Saint Patrick use the “shamrock”?

6. Explain Saint Patrick’s myth about snakes.

B. TRADITION

1. What is a Leprechaun?

2. What colour do people wear on Saint Patrick’s Day? Why?

3. Where is Saint Patrick’s Day celebrated nowadays?

4. How do people celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in Dublin?

5. And in New York?

6. Mention 10 Irish famous people that you know.

 VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjnJB_HSc2U

After the death of winter, Saint Patrick’s Day is a welcome sign of spring, a day for wearing green, for the Irish and
non-Irish alike.

The story of Saint Patrick’s Day goes back to 5 th century Britain, where a 16-year-old boy, Maewyn Succat, was
kidnapped by Irish pirates. He remained as a shepherd in Ireland for 6 years, until a vision directed him to escape.

Back home in Britain, he had another vision begging him to help the people of Ireland, so he took his vows as a
priest, adopted the Christian name Patrick, and in 432 AD returned to Ireland on a mission. In his own writing, Patrick
wrote about converting the Irish to Christianity, while building schools and monasteries along Ireland’s north and
west coast. One popular myth has Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. The truth is, there were never snakes on
the Ireland. This is probably a metaphor for Patrick converting the island from a pagan to a Christian land. Another
myth has Patrick using the shamrock to teach the Holy Trinity. This legend is possible, but Patrick never wrote about
it.

So why does the holiday fall on March 17 th? Supposedly, it is the day Patrick died in 461 AD. Since then, Irish
Christians have marked the anniversary as a holiday. Beginning in the Middle Ages, Irish Catholics would close shop
and attend church to honour the feast of Saint Patrick, and it was time to celebrate. Saint Patrick’s Day falls within
Lent, the season before Easter when Catholics give up their vices as penance. The feast of Saint Patrick was a one-
day reprieve, when Irishmen could down a pint or two of ale. This custom really took off. The first Saint Patrick’s Day
in colonial America occurred in Boston 1737, with a parade organised by the Charitable Irish society. New York city
fall out in 1762. Today, New York’s 5th Avenue parade is America’s most famous St. Patrick’s Day tradition.

During the 1840s, when Ireland was starving from the potato famine, millions were forced to leave. The mass
migration sent Irish to Canada, Australia and America. As the Irish settled in their new countries, they brought along
all the customs, and invented a few more. In the USA, it became customary to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. For
the end of the 19th century, the smell of corn beef wafted from Irish-American neighbourhoods. The traditional Irish
meal was boiled bacon and potatoes. But in the States, immigrants could find a cheap piece of beef, tenderized with
brine and slow cooked with cabbage. And it remains a delicious party’s day tradition. As the Irish in America gained
influence in politics and culture, their excuse of holiday became a national and recognised celebration. And it all
began over 1500 years ago, when a boy was torn from his family. His life has inspired parades, fashion and yes, the
hoisting of a few pints, to toast this special day.