Kids’ Craic: Earth Day’s Birthday!
by Dottie Wenger
The United States and Ireland are two of the many countries around the world that celebrate Earth Day. This year, Earth Day turns FIFTY! This special observance began in 1970 when a United States senator named Gaylord Nelson witnessed a huge oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Earth Day is now celebrated each year on April 22nd. Its purpose is to encourage everyone to be friendlier toward our environment. What are some things kids can do to be Earth-friendly?
- Plant a Tree Trees release oxygen for us to breathe. They also provide shelter and food for animals like birds and squirrels. About fifteen billion trees are cut down each year!
- Stop- or cut down on- drinking bottled water A plastic bottle can take over 450 years to break down!
- Be careful how much water you use Clean, drinkable water is a limited resource. Less than one percent of the water on Earth can be used by humans! One way you can save water is by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth. This can save up to eight gallons of water a day!
Earth Day Fun Fact Did you know that the number of garbage trucks Americans fill each year would stretch halfway to the moon?
Kids in the Kitchen Here’s a fun Earth Day cookie recipe kids can make, with a wee bit of help from a grown-up: Using sugar cookie dough- homemade or store-bought- use food coloring to dye half of the dough green and half blue. Taking a pinch of each color, roll the dough into a ball and bake according to recipe. The end result will look a lot like “Earth”!
Gaelic Words of the Month In honor of Earth Day: blue = gorm (pron. gor-green = glas (pron. glahs)
Although this issue focused on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, there are plenty of other ntable dates this month in Ireland! To name a few….
April Fool’s Day The Irish are known for their wit, their sense of humor, and their love of practical jokes. Many of the silly gags Irish folks have played on others have gone viral on the Internet!
Easter This Christian holiday (recognized on April 12th this year) is celebrated in Ireland in much the same way it is in America. Since Ireland is a predominantly Catholic country, many attend Mass on Easter morning. The Easter Sunday family feast might include both lamb and ham, potatoes, and veggies. The Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts are also a part of some Irish family traditions.
Poetry Month We recognize Poetry Month in April in the United States. In Ireland, a popular type of poem is called a limerick. A limerick is a funny verse with five lines. The first, second and fifth line rhyme; the third and fourth lines are shorter and share a different rhyme. Here’s an example:
There was an Old Man of Kilkenny,
Who never had more than a penny
He spent all that money
On onions and honey,
That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.
*Dottie taught kindergarten and second grade for a total of thirty-two year, and she now handles promotions for Yorktown Service Plaza in Parma Heights. In her spare time, Dottie is a baker extraordinaire, and also enjoys participating in 5K events in order to offset collateral damage from this hobby.
