Irish-Americans in Boston held the first celebration in 1737: a dinner hosted by the newly founded Charitable Irish Society, which remains an annual tradition nearly three centuries later. In 1762, New York City held its first parade, which has become the largest and oldest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world.

The coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, has staked its claim as the St. Patrick's Day capital of the South, with celebrations dating back to 1812, while Chicago, famed for dyeing its river green since 1962, has been parading since 1843.

These American cities still offer some of the biggest celebrations dedicated to the man who allegorically drove the snakes out of Ireland. The holiday's Irish-American roots also explain why some traditional St. Patrick's Day foods, like corned beef and cabbage, are not actually Irish (the Irish prefer pork).

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