Ways to {Sham}Rock Your St. Patrick's Day + A St. Patrick's Day Feast Giveaway #CatholicCentral #SaintPatricksDayTraditions

**This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Catholic Central, all thoughts are 100% my own.

St. Patrick's Day is almost here, and in my house the preparations are in full swing. The green outfits are planned and laid out, menu planning is under way, and my daughter is hiding gold coins with the idea that she might just catch a leprechaun! Oh yes, we certainly get into the spirit of things around here! Perhaps it's our Irish heritage, or maybe we just like a fun excuse to threaten pinches, but whatever it is... we LOVE it! As you can see in some of our green looks from years passed:

















But it's not JUST a fun holiday, it has a truly great meaning behind it. It is the time to celebrate the life of St. Patrick; the patron saint of Ireland who helped introduce Ireland to Christianity. Now, that's certainly something worth celebrating, isn't it?

But aside from just wearing your green, how can you make St. Patrick's Day memorable and fun for your family? Today, I'm sharing some of our traditions and crafts from years passed.

• Learn about St. Patrick. All Irish pride aside, we love letting the kids know the reason behind the holiday. Contrary to what the popular opinions in our world today might be, it's not pots 'o gold or adult beverages! I love sharing with my kids who St. Patrick was and what we can learn from him as Christians today- spreading the word of God, praying without ceasing, etc. One of our personal St. Patrick's Day traditions is watching this fun St. Patrick's Day short from Veggie Tales--- it's funny, but it really does make it more understandable to kids.
  
  
  
  For a more serious lesson for all ages, check out this video from Catholic Central:
  
  
  
• Plan a Special Meal. Whether it's an authentic or Irish inspired meal, or keeping it GREEN, there are many ways you can plan a special meals just for the occasion. Start the day with Lucky Charms or perhaps some green eggs and ham (it is after all National Reading Month too). Or just add some green food coloring to other favorites! These are certainly more fun for the kids, but I love creating an Irish dish too. Shephard's Pie is a favorite in my home, though I must admit I use ground beef so it's not really too authentic! 
• Create a Prayer Journal. If you watched the video above, you learned that St. Patrick loved to pray. 100 times a day he would pray. I love that! Encourage your children to pray like St. Patrick with this fun St. Patrick's Day inspired prayer journal! Find out how here.
  
  
  
• Celebrate the Trinity. Another great way to keep our faith at the center of this holiday is found in this adorable and simple lesson and shamrock craft! Find out more here.
  
  
   
• Decorate Your Home. To be honest, I don't always decorate my home for St. Patrick's Day, but I love doing it when I can. Simple Irish blessings, a fun and festive letter board quote or even hanging some cutout shamrocks is all you really need. 

Need more inspiration for your St. Patrick's Day festivities? Catholic Central has put together a “5 Ways to Have a Shamrockin’ St. Patrick’s Day” downloadable PDF for you to check out below:

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You have questions about the Catholic faith and what it means to be Catholic. We have answers. Using a team of witty writers, appealing hosts, and even some learned theologians, we’ve created shareable, snackable videos that teach the timeless truths and deep history of the Church with humor and heart. Produced in the Family Theater Productions studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, CATHOLIC CENTRAL entertains, enlightens and inspires.
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And in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Caholic Central is giving over very lucky reader the chance to win a Saint Patrick's Day Feast Kit which includes: 

1- Bamboo Cheese Board with slide out drawer 

4 - Stainless steel cutting and serving knives 

And more! 

Enter using the giveaway form below:

Entry-Form

How do YOU celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your family?