St. Patrick's Day is March 17th, each year. The first Irish celebrations that took place in St. Patrick's honor on the date of his death were noisy affairs in Ireland! The Irish who immigrated to America took the celebration with them....they were not going to forget to remember their Saint Patrick in March! St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in North America since 1737.
It all began when some of the Irish in Boston took to the streets to celebrate the formation of an Irish Charitable Society.... they can now lay claim to being the first parade! Today St. Patrick's Day boasts of the largest number of ethnic celebrations in North America! New Orleans remembers him with just 2 of the now 122 parades for Ireland's national hero.
The biggest parade, held in New York, originated in 1762 when a group of Irish-born militia on their way to a breakfast celebrating St. Patrick's Day staged an impromptu march through the streets of Colonial New York with their regimental band. They've been marching ever since!
St. Patrick's Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Irish Channel Parade - 1 p.m.
The Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day Club will hold its 62nd Annual Mass and Parade celebration on Saturday, March 12th, 12:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Assumption Church (corner of Constance and Josephine Streets) followed by the parade (corner of Felicity and Magazine) at 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
St. Patrick's Day Parade on Metairie Road - 11 a.m.
The annual Metairie Road St. Patrick's Day parade will take place on Sunday, March 14. The parade begins at 11 am in front of Rummel High School on Severn Avenue, goes down Severn to Metairie Road, then Metairie Road to the parish line.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Parisol's St. Patty's Day Party - 11 a.m. til
Annual celebration in the Irish Channel - corner of Third & Constance Streets. Lots of green beer!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Downtown Irish Club Parade - 7:00 p.m.
The annual downtown St. Patrick's Day parade begins on the corner of Burgundy and Piety in the Bywater, proceeds roughly up Royal, across Esplanade to Decatur, up Bienville to Bourbon. The parade makes several "pit stops" on its way to Bourbon St.
Sunday, March 201, 2011
Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade (Metairie) - 12 Noon
The 2011 Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade will roll on March 20th, at 12:00 noon, on the traditional Vets Hwy route in Metairie.
