Saint Patrick’s Day has gone from being just a religious holiday originating in Ireland to becoming a highly anticipated event in several countries, such as the United States. As is tradition every March 17, New York City holds the traditional parade that brings together more than 150,000 people on Fifth Avenue and it also attracts millions of viewers who follow the broadcasts on television.
The event, also known as the New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, starts minutes before 11:00 local time (08:00 am Pacific time), with the first student bands followed by the contingent of the City Police and the presence of Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell.
The tour of dozens of bands begins at East 44th Street and ends at East 79th Street and lasts for more than four hours. Participants will pass in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedralwhere they are traditionally greeted by Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
For people who want to see the parade in person, the organizing committee recommends that they find a place on Fifth Avenue as early as possible.
They are usually installed some stands with special seats that can be requested in advance (before March 1) by writing a letter to the event’s organizing committee mailing address (NYC St Patrick’s Parade, PO Box 295 Woodlawn Station, Bronx, NY 10470). At this location, people should dress in “business casual” attire, because they might run into other special guests.
Meanwhile, those who go to the event along Fifth Avenue usually wear the traditional green color and carry elements alluding to the Irish flagwhere this festival commemorating the arrival of Christianity in that European country originated.
Although St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday for many people in the United States, organizers warn that traffic complications could be generated due to road closures in Midtown Manhattan. Therefore, they recommend moving around on foot instead of in private cars.
For fans of this celebration who cannot be present in New York, the 262nd edition of this traditional parade will be broadcast live on the network NBC and its local affiliates throughout the country. Every year an audience of over two million television viewers is estimated.
In addition, live images from Fifth Avenue can be seen on the Internet sites nycstpatricksparade.org y nbcnewyork.comas well as the Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo and PlayCozi platforms.
St. Patrick’s Day activities in New York are the result of months of work by volunteers who organize all the details of the largest and oldest parade in the world. “We could not do it without the commitment of these great women and men,” the organization says. In addition to this tradition, in Chicago St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with the green dyeing of the river that runs through the city, a spectacle that is highly anticipated by the general public.
THE NATION
