St. Patrick's Day · Worksheet 1
The Boy Who Came Back
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1Every March, something strange happens in Chicago. The river in the middle of the city turns bright green! Workers put a special powder into the water. Thousands of people come to watch. It is all for one day, Saint Patrick's Day, on March 17.
2Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but he was not Irish. He was born in Britain more than 1,500 years ago. When he was about 16, raiders took him away to Ireland. He worked there as a slave and looked after animals for six years. Then he escaped and went home.
3But later, Patrick chose to go back to Ireland. He taught people about Christianity there for many years. A famous story says he used a shamrock, a small plant with three leaves, to teach. People believe he died on March 17, so this became his day.
4The first parades were not in Ireland. They were in America! In 1762, Irish soldiers marched through New York City. Later, many Irish people moved to the United States, and the parades grew bigger. Today, about two million people watch the New York parade.
5Now the day is a big party around the world. People wear green clothes and put shamrocks on their coats. Famous buildings light up in green, and even Tokyo Tower has turned green. In Ireland, it is a national holiday, and many families go to church and watch parades. So, are you wearing anything green today?
- patron saint 守護聖人
- raider 襲ってくる人、略奪者
- slave 奴隷
- escape 逃げる、脱出する
- look after ～の世話をする
- Christianity キリスト教
- shamrock シャムロック（三つ葉のクローバーの仲間）
- legend 伝説
- march 行進する
- light up ライトアップする、明るく照らす
- national holiday 国の祝日
- bagpipes バグパイプ