St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of New York City’s finest traditions. The Parade marched for the first time on March 17, 1762 fourteen Years before the Declaration of Independence was adopted and it is now the largest Parade in the World.

This annual parade has been held for the past 247 years in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland and the Archdiocese of New York. The Parade is reviewed from the steps of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral by His Eminence Cardinal Edward Eagan, Archbishop of New York in the same manner as the Archbishop of New York did in the early days of the Parade at the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Lower Manhattan when the Parade was held in Lower Manhattan before the new St Patrick’s was built on Fifth Avenue.

Often regarded as the most popular parade in New York City, the Parade is the largest and most famous of the many parades that are held in the New York City each year.

The Parade starts off at 44th Street at 11 am and is held every March 17th except when March 17th falls on a Sunday; it is celebrated the day before, because of religious observances. The parade marches up Fifth Avenue past St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 50th Street all the way up past the Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Irish Historical Society at 83rd Street to 86th Street, and usually finished up around 4:30 – 5:00 pm.

To this day, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade remains true to its roots as a true marchers Parade by not allowing floats, automobiles and other commercial aspects in the Parade. Every year the Parade Committee hosts the 150,000- 250,000 marchers, along with many great bands; bagpipes, high school bands and the ever-present politicians in front of the approx 2 million spectators lining Fifth Avenue.

The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York was held on lower Broadway in 1762 by a band of homesick Irish ex-patriots and Irish military serving with the British Army stationed in the American colonies in New York City. This was a time when the wearing of green was a sign of Irish pride was banned in Ireland. The parade participants reveled in the freedom to speak Irish, wear the green, sing Irish songs and play the pipes to Irish tunes that were very meaningful to the Irish immigrants who had fled their homeland.

After the war of 1812, the Irish fraternal and beneficial societies took over the duties of hosting and sponsoring the event. Originally, the Irish societies joined together at their respective meeting places and moved in a procession toward Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Lower Manhattan on Mott & Prince Streets where the Archbishop of New York would address the crowd before revelers dispersed to celebrate.

In 1851 the individual societies merged under a single grand marshal and the size of the parade grew sharply. This was when the “Irish” 69th Regiment began to lead the marchers and the Ancient Order of Hibernians became the official sponsor.

This years Grand Marshal is Ray Kelly the Police Commissioner Of New York City

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One Response to “St. Patrick’s Day Parade”

1. st patrick\\\'s cathedral says:

   March 18, 2010 at 11:07 pm

   [...] in Irish pride parades, eat green clover-shaped cookies, and quaff frosty mugs of green beer inSt. Patrick's Day Parade | Manhattan StyleThe St. Patrick's Day Parade is one of New York City's finest traditions. The Parade marched for the [...]