Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day is the annual feast day that celebrates Saint Patrick (386-493), the patron saint of Ireland, on March 17. This page will focus primarily on the celebration of Saint Patrick's Day in America, where the occasion is a primarily secular holiday.

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide both by Irish people and increasingly by many of non-Irish descent. It is said in American cities that everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick's Day. Secular celebrations are generally themed around all things green and Irish. Irish-Americans, Irish, and other Americans celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green (including buttons and shirts that proclaim "Kiss Me-I'm Irish!"), eating Irish food and imbibing Irish drink (including green beer), and attending parades. 

The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers marched through the city. Yes, the first parade for St. Patrick's Day took place in America, not Ireland! Parades also take place in Dublin and in other Irish towns and villages but none are as big as the one in New York City. Other large parades include those held in Manchester, Montreal, Boston, Chicago, Savannah, Denver and Scranton. Other significant parades take place throughout Europe and the Americas, as well as in Australia and Asia. There are very small parades, too, such as those in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Boulder, Colorado, each of which are less than a single city block in length.

In many parts of North America, Britain, and Australia, expatriate Irish, those of Irish descent, and ever-growing crowds of people with no Irish connections at all (they just want to have fun!) also celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Revelers drink alcoholic beverages such as green-dyed lager, Irish beers such as Murphys, Smithwicks, Harp or Guinness, or Irish whiskey, Irish cider, Irish coffee and Baileys Irish Cream. It is also customary to wear at least one article of green-colored clothing. If someone is caught not wearing something green on St. Paddy's Day (as many affectionately call the occasion), regardless of their ethnicity, one is fair game for a punitive pinch!

Irish-American immigrants brought Saint Patrick's Day to the United States. The first civic and public celebration of Saint Patrick's Day in the 13 American colonies took place in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. The first celebration of Saint Patrick's Day in New York City was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in 1756. On March 17, 1780, General George Washington, who had soldiers of Irish descent under his command in the Continental Army, allowed his troops a holiday. This event came to be known as the St. Patrick's Day Encampment of 1780. 

Ireland, through the generations, has always contributed a sizeable immigrant population to New York City which has, no doubt, contributed to that city's parade becoming the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in the world. In 2003 more than 150,000 marchers participated, including bands, firefighters, military and police groups, county associations, emigrant societies, and social and cultural clubs. The New York City parade marches annually up 5th Avenue in Manhattan and attracts roughly two million people. One year, New York City Mayor Ed Koch proclaimed himself "Ed O'Koch" for the day. 

Some cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Others, including Chicago, dye major rivers green. Savannah, home of the world's second-largest Saint Patrick's Day parade, dyes the water in its downtown city fountains green.

The longest-running Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in the U.S. are:
Boston, Massachusetts, since 1737
New York City, since 1756
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1771
Morristown, New Jersey, since 1780

If you are ever in America on Saint Patrick's Day, or anywhere else that it is celebrated, we suggest that you put on an item of green clothing and enjoy the day!

This page is based on a page from Wikipedia entitled Saint Patrick's Day. You can find the page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Day. Wikipedia is open source. That means anyone is free to use it and alter it as long as they credit the source. Wikipedia is not copyright, it is leftright. The Saint Patrick's Day related text on this page is also leftright. You are free to use it as you like as long as you credit Aaron Teaches and Wikipedia for our authorship. This means that if you want to use this, you must include a statement crediting us and provide links to Aaron Teaches and Wikipedia.