Kid’s Craic: A Little Hug from God

The Celtic Cross is a fascinating symbol of Ireland that blends both Pagan and Christian traditions. It looks like a regular cross, but it has a circle around where the arms of the cross meet. This circle makes it unique!

Long ago, in places like Ireland and Britain, people started making these special crosses. They used them to show their love for God. The circle in the Celtic cross is like a hug from God. Before it became a Christian symbol, the Celtic cross was used by pagans (people who believed in different gods) to worship the Sun.

Legend of St. Patrick

It is believed that when St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, he encountered several groups of pagans. He learned that they worshipped a large circular stone. They called it the Sun Cross or Sun Wheel. St. Patrick drew lines through the center forming what we now call a Celtic cross.

St. Patrick used the symbol of Christianity combined with the Sun Wheel to convince the pagans that the cross was important. By joining the sun and the cross, he felt he could make Christianity more appealing to the pagan followers. So, the cross became a beautiful blend of both Celtic and Christian cultures.

The Celtic cross is now commonly seen in Insular art (art designed in Ireland and Great Britain from the 5^th – 8^th century). Some refer to it as a regular cross but with a magical halo. Artists often decorate the circle with intricate patterns that look like fancy weaving.

The Celtic cross is used in artwork, jewelry, and monuments and its popularity has spread across the world. Do you have any artwork or jewelry in your home with the Celtic cross? Now you know how the design started!

Kids in the Kitchen

Mint Oreo Cookie Bark

Ingredients:

16 oz white chocolate
12-16 Cool Mint Oreo cookies
Shamrock Quins or any green sprinkles

Directions:

Arrange 3/4 of the Oreo Cookie Pieces on a baking sheet.
Melt White Chocolate in a small bowl either over a pot of boiling water or in the microwave.
Pour the melted chocolate over the cookies and smooth carefully with a spatula.
Sprinkle the rest of the Cookies and the Quins over the chocolate.
Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until firm.
Break the bark into pieces and serve.

Literature Corner

Fiona’s luck

By Teresa Bateman

The greedy Leprechaun King has taken all the good fortune and locked it away. It is up to Fiona to come up with a plan to get the good luck back. Can she outsmart the powerful King and bring the good tidings back to the people of Ireland? For ages 4-8, 32 pages.

The Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry

By Rosalie K. Fry

This is one of my favorite books ever!
After Fiona’s family moves to Scotland, she learns she does not love city life. She is sent back to live with her grandparents in Ireland. She begins to wonder about her baby brother who disappeared during the island evacuation, but the fishermen have claimed to have seen. For ages 9-12, 96 pages.

Q. Why do leprechauns recycle?

A. They like to go green!

Q. What happens when a leprechaun falls into the Irish Sea?

A. He gets wet!

Gab in Gaelic

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day = Beannachtai na Feile Padraig (Pron: bann/ockt/tee nih fail/eh pawd/rig)

Megan Lardie

*Megan is a Reading Intervention educator with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. She has a BA from Hiram College and BA+ from Ashland University. She resides in Avon Lake with her husband, Joe, and their five children. She can be reached at [email protected].

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