St Patrick"s Day, celebrated on March 17, honours Ireland"s patron saint and national apostle, Saint Patrick—a fifth-century missionary. A national holiday in Ireland, the festivity is marked by a range of cultural events, parades and traditional music and dance enjoyed across the globe. Interestingly, the first St Patrick"s Day parade wasn"t held in Ireland but in the United States. The earliest celebration was organised by Irish vicar Ricardo Artur in St Augustine, Florida, in 1601.