Which American city held the first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the United States?
A) Boston, Massachusetts ü B) Chicago, Illinois C) New York, New York D) Savannah, Georgia
The first celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in America took place in Boston in 1737, hosted by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston. There was likely some sort of informal procession, but no official parade. Thus New York can claim the honor of hosting the first official St. Patrick’s Day parade, in 1762. The marchers were Irish soldiers serving in the English army. Although St. Patrick’s Day is not an official holiday in the United States, it is nevertheless widely celebrated, and with good reason: over 30 million Americans claim Irish ancestry, more than seven times the population of Ireland itself!
