By: HISTORY.com Editors
The first recorded parade honoring the Catholic feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is held in what is now St. Augustine, Florida.
Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred on March 17, 1601, in what was then a Spanish colonial settlement under the direction of the colony’s Irish vicar, Ricardo Artur. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City on March 1762.
Distinguish St. Patrick's Day myths from reality and find out why this holiday is celebrated by millions of Irish people around the world.
St. Patrick, who was born in the late fourth century, was one of the most successful Christian missionaries in history. Born in Britain to a Christian family of Roman citizenship, he was taken prisoner at age 16 by a group of Irish raiders who attacked his family’s estate. They transported him to Ireland, and Patrick spent six years in captivity before escaping back to Britain. Believing he had been called by God to Christianize Ireland, he joined the Catholic Church and studied for 15 years before being consecrated as the church’s second missionary to Ireland. Patrick began his mission to Ireland in 432, and by his death in 461, the island was almost entirely Christian.
Early Irish settlers to the 13 colonies, many of whom were indentured servants, brought the Irish tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s feast day to America. With the dramatic increase of Irish immigrants to the United States in the mid-19th century, the March 17 holiday became widespread. Today, across the United States, millions of Americans of Irish ancestry celebrate their cultural identity and history by enjoying St. Patrick’s Day parades and engaging in general revelry.
The first documented St. Patrick’s Day parade was on March 17, 1601, in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. Back then, the settlement was part of the Spanish colony of Florida.
Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on March 17th
The March 17 holiday is steeped in myths. These St. Patrick’s Day facts share the fun, surprising truth about the celebration.
Dressing in green on St. Patrick’s Day traces back to leprechaun legends and a 17th century sign of Irish defiance.
St. Patrick may be the patron saint of Ireland, but many St. Patrick’s Day traditions were born in the United States.
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