Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17.
The day is the national holiday of Ireland. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Montserrat. In Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday.
The world's first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in Boston in 1761, organized by the Charitable Society. The first recorded parade was New York City's celebration which began on March 18, 1762 when Irish soldiers in the English military marched through the city with their music. The New York parade is the largest, typically drawing two million spectators and 150,000 marchers.
The Irish in Philadelphia first celebrated St. Patrick's Day as in 1771, five years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The first documented St. Patrick's Day Celebration Parade in Philadelphia was held that year. This year's parade marks over 239 continuous years of celebrations. This parade is the 2nd oldest Parade in the Country, topped only by the New York City Parade.
Like a true native, I've never actually seen the Parade in person. Maybe I ought to go next year, there may be photo-worthy squirrels!
