The first recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade in the Americas takes place on March 17, 1601, on the Catholic Feast Day of St. Patrick, in the Spanish colony of modern-day St. Augustine, Florida, organized by Ricardo Arture, the colony’s Irish vicar. More than a century later, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York City in 1762.
Now, March 17 is the annual holiday of Saint Patrick, a Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland who died on March 17, 461,CE at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland. Much of what is known about St. Patrick’s life is from legend and folklore and from a book attributed to him. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is now observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. It commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by connection, it celebrates the Irish culture and heritage. St. Patrick has never been actually canonized by the Catholic Church and he is considered a saint by "popular acclaim".
