St. Patrick’s Day Blessings

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The roots of this holiday go back hundreds of years, but much of its meaning has been lost over time. This year, don’t just celebrate Irish culture – celebrate the spirit of the day!

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with spreading Christianity throughout the country. In fact, the origins of the shamrock as a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day are religious – he is said to have used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Over time, as the holiday became more about culture than religion, and the four-leaf clover became known as a symbol of luck (it is rare to find one – only 1 in 5,000 shamrocks are four-leaf clovers!), the four-leaf clover and, by extension, the color green, became associated with St. Patrick’s Day as well. You can read more about the history of both symbols here.

The four-leaf clover is just one of the many connections between Irishness and luck. There is also a TON of fascinating history extending from ancient Celtic lore referencing the power of luck to the perceived good fortune of Irish and Irish-Americans miners during the gold rush. But as you and your family explore the stories that shaped St. Patrick’s Day (there’s a lot out there beyond the article we linked above), consider asking this question: when good things happen, are you lucky or are you blessed?

Mimi Patrick of Ministry-to-Children.com offers some useful tips for how to discuss the idea of luck versus blessings with kids. And you can extend that conversation through a simple four-leaf clover craft! Print out this template or draw your own, and within the leaves, you can collage, draw, paint, or list some of your blessings. As you go, talk about how special it is to look at the wonderful things in our lives as a sign of God’s love for us rather than just happy accidents.

We’d love to see your four-leaf clovers! Share them with us in person or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.