We all know that St. Patrick's Day is a day to wear green, but there is actually more to this holiday...

First of all... who is St. Patrick? St. Patrick was born at the end of the fourth century in Britain. When he was 16 he was taken prisoner by Irish raiders and spent six years in captivity. After his escape, he began his religious training and became a priest. His mission was to convert and minister Christians in Ireland.

Patrick's approach was unique because he used traditional Irish rituals in his presentation of Christianity as opposed to trying to eradicate native beliefs. For example, he added the symbol of the sun to the Christian cross. To this day it's called a Celtic cross.

March 17th is both the anniversary of St. Patrick's death and his religious feast day. It's a religious holiday observed for thousands of years in Ireland. The first St. Patrick's Day Parade took place in New York in 1762 and now the holiday is celebrated all over the world.

In addition to wearing green and eating the traditional corned beef and cabbage, my daughter's 1st grade class introduced us to yet another way to celebrate... the homemade construction of a leprechaun trap.

Now, leprechauns from Irish tales were a bit naughty and cranky, but in 1959, Disney's "Darby O'Gill & the Little People" gave them a more happy, friendly twist. So, the leprechaun trap is for the Disney version...

Basically, the night before St. Patrick's Day, the child builds a makeshift trap out of a shoe box or other handy item. Inside they put a treat to lure the leprechaun in and a secret note with a wish written on it. If the trap is successful, the note will be gone and a treat will be left for the child. (I suppose time will tell if their wish is granted!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!