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The
rolling celebration, now in its 264th year, takes place along
Manhattan's famed Fifth Avenue. Some 150,000 take part in the
march and 2 million spectators attend each year, according to
organizers.
Major celebrations are also planned on Monday in Savannah,
Georgia, and other American communities, though some of the
cities most transformed by Irish immigration held festivities
over the weekend.
Chicago 's St. Patrick’s Day celebration, which is punctuated by
turning its namesake river bright green with dye, happened
Saturday. Boston and Philadelphia marked the occasion Sunday.
Across the pond, the Irish capital of Dublin culminates its
three-day festival with a parade Monday. Cities such as
Liverpool, England, another city transformed by Irish
immigration, also host celebrations on the St. Patrick’s feast
day.
The parades are meant to commemorate Ireland’s patron saint but
have become a celebration of Irish heritage globally.
Festivities on March 17 were popularized by Irish immigrant
communities, who in the 19th century faced discrimination and
opposition in the U.S.
The New York parade dates to 1762 — 14 years before the U.S.
Declaration of Independence.
It steps off at 11 a.m., heading north along Fifth Avenue and
running from East 44th Street to East 79th Street in Manhattan.
A bevy of local politicians, from the mayor to the governor, are
expected to walk the route along with school marching bands and
traditional Irish pipe and drum ensembles and delegations from
the New York Police Department and other organizations.
The grand marshal of this year’s parade in New York City is
Michael Benn, the longtime chairman of the Queens County St.
Patrick’s Parade held in Rockaway Beach.
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