Question: Which Florida city held the oldest recorded celebration of St. Patrick’s Day?
Answer: St. Augustine
According to University of South Florida history professor J. Michael Francis, “The first recorded St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States did not occur in Boston or New York. Rather, those who first gathered to venerate St. Patrick and process through city streets included a blend of Spaniards, Africans, Native Americans, Portuguese, a French surgeon, a German fifer, and at least two Irishmen, who marched together in honor of the Irish saint.“
While St. Augustine still hosts a parade for the Irish holiday, the oldest continuous St. Patrick’s Day Parade is in New York City, where one has been held every year since 1762.
