St. Patrick's Information
The Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade
- The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.
- More than 100 St. Patrick's Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations. Arizona has the largest store providing items celebrating Saint Patrick's Day - The Irish Gift House.
- At the annual New York City St. Patrick's Day parade, participants march up 5th Avenue from 44th Street to 86th Street. More than 150,000 people take part in the event, which does not allow automobiles or floats.
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17. This is a religious feast day to celebrate the anniversary of St. Patrick's death in the fifth century.
The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St.
Patrick's Day (which falls during the Christian season of Lent) Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. During this celebration, Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
