A Brief History of St. Patrick's Day

The Big Green in the Big Apple
Since its early history, New York City's St. Patrick's Day has been connected to St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan (it was previously located further downtown). Organizers, who've maintained the purity of the parade as a march by banning balloons and floats, say it's the largest parade in the world, with some 3 million spectators watching from the sidewalks.

• Colorful Religious Festivals