If you’re one of those parents who can answer any question without saying let’s go check the internet! like I do, then more power to you. As for me, I was researching the story of the real St. Patrick’s Day to help explain it to my kids, and came across the wonderful History Channel website as a new must-bookmark resource. File under “parents’ life savers.”
Not sure why I never thought of going there before, but History.com is packed with info that curious kids will adore. Especially because the pages and videos are a little more bite-size than the hour-long shows that they feature, and there’s a cool “today in history” page that’s worth checking every day.
As for today’s holiday, start with the fun, three-minute video, Bet You Didn’t Know: St. Patrick’s Day, which taught me that he wasn’t even Irish–though he was kidnapped by Irish raiders–and that the story about him driving all the snakes from the country was really an allegory for Patrick driving Paganism out after converting to Christianity in captivity and becoming a missionary. Am I the last to know this?
The video also offers engaging info about shamrocks, the origin of St Patrick’s Day parades, and what the potato famine has to do with all of it.
Related: Easy ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the kids, without leaving the house
You’ll also find short videos dedicated to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, explanations for all those folks wearing green today, and the possibility that the Irish actually discovered (“discovered”) America a good thousand years before Columbus landed here. And then, of course, there’s the one your kids will probably want to see first: the leprechauns video.
No spoilers here.
Visit the History Channel website for videos about the real St. Patrick’s Day and sooooo much more.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We kiss you all.
