JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Do you know where the first St. Patrick's Day Parade was held? The answer may surprise you.
The first recorded parade honoring the Catholic feast day of St. Patrick was reportedly held in St. Augustine, according to History.com.
The website says a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1601 in the Spanish colony under the direction of the colony's Irish vicar, Ricardo Artur.
By comparison, the first recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City wasn't held until over a hundred years later in 1762.
While researching Spanish gunpowder expenditure logs, historian Michael Francis found records that indicate cannon blasts or gunfire were used to honor St. Patrick in what is now known as St. Augustine, reports History.com.
Residents of the Spanish garrison town also reportedly paraded through the streets in honor of St. Patrick the following year.
History.com says the movement may have begun at the behest of an Irish priest who was living in the area at the time.