March 17 is day 76 of the year, or 77 in a leap year, with 289 days remaining after it. It is St. Patrick’s Day. It falls on a Wednesday in 2027 and a Friday in 2028.
The most commonly repeated fact about this date is wrong. The first recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland and not in New York — it was held in 1601 in what is now St. Augustine, Florida, organised by an Irish vicar in the Spanish colony.
New York’s first parade came 161 years later, in 1762, and was marched by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army.
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What day of the week is March 17?
March 17 is day 76 in a common year and day 77 in a leap year.
| Year | Day of week |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | Wednesday |
| 2028 | Friday |
| 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | Sunday |
| 2031 | Monday |
| 2032 | Wednesday |
| 2033 | Thursday |
| 2034 | Friday |
| 2035 | Saturday |
The weekday has a consequence beyond parade scheduling. March 17 always falls inside Lent, and Catholic abstinence from meat binds on Fridays.
When the date lands on a Friday — as in 2028 and 2034 — dioceses decide individually whether to grant a dispensation. In 2027 it is a Wednesday, so the question does not arise.
Observances on March 17
| Observance | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| St. Patrick’s Day | International | Public holiday in Ireland; not a US federal holiday |
| Evacuation Day | Suffolk County, Massachusetts | Commemorates the British withdrawal, 1776 |
| Feast of Saint Patrick | Christian | Patron saint of Ireland |
| National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day | United States |
Evacuation Day and St. Patrick’s Day share the date in Boston, which is not entirely a coincidence — Suffolk County’s Irish community made the pairing convenient, and since 1901 the South Boston parade has honoured both.
Historical events on March 17
461 — Saint Patrick died at Saul, where he had built the first Irish church. He is believed to be buried at Down Cathedral, Downpatrick, where his grave was marked with a granite stone in 1990 (History.com).
1601 — The first recorded parade on the feast of St. Patrick was held in what is now St. Augustine, Florida (History.com).
1762 — New York City held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade, marched by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army (Associated Press; History.com).
1776 — British forces evacuated Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, after Washington placed fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking the city (History.com; UPI).
1905 — Franklin Delano Roosevelt married Eleanor Roosevelt, his fifth cousin once removed, in New York (History.com; Associated Press).
1941 — The National Gallery of Art opened in Washington, D.C., dedicated by President Roosevelt (Associated Press).
1942 — Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia to take command of Allied forces in the southwest Pacific, six days after leaving the Philippines (Associated Press).
1950 — Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley announced the creation of a new radioactive element, californium (Associated Press).
1959 — The nuclear submarine USS Skate became the first to surface through the ice at the North Pole (Associated Press).
1962 — Chicago began the tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green for the holiday (History.com).
1969 — Golda Meir, aged 70 and a former Milwaukee schoolteacher, became prime minister of Israel — the country’s fourth, and still the only woman to hold the post (History.com; UPI).
1992 — White South Africans voted 68.7% to 31.3% in a referendum to end apartheid (Associated Press).
Saint Patrick was not Irish
Patrick was born in Britain in the late fourth century to a Christian family holding Roman citizenship.
He was captured at sixteen by Irish raiders who attacked his family’s estate and spent six years in captivity in Ireland before escaping back to Britain.
He returned as a missionary, beginning his mission in 432, and by his death in 461 the island was largely Christian.
The shamrock and the snakes are later accretions — Ireland had no snakes to drive out, the last glaciation having left the island without them.
Notable births on March 17
| Year | Person | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| 1804 | Jim Bridger | American frontiersman and mountain man |
| 1919 | Nat King Cole | American singer and pianist |
| 1938 | Rudolf Nureyev | Russian ballet dancer |
| 1951 | Kurt Russell | American actor |
| 1964 | Rob Lowe | American actor |
Zodiac sign and birthstone for March 17
March 17 falls under Pisces, which runs from about February 19 to March 20.
The date sits three days before the Aries boundary, which is close enough to note.
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Sign dates | About February 19 to March 20 |
| Element | Water |
| Birthstone | Aquamarine |
| Alternate birthstone | Bloodstone |
| Birth flower | Daffodil |
The Pisces-to-Aries boundary tracks the March equinox, which falls on March 20 in 2027 at 4:24 p.m. EDT.
Because the equinox moves by several hours each year and by a day across the leap cycle, published boundary dates vary between March 19 and March 21. March 17 is unaffected.
How many days until March 17?
The next March 17 falls on a Wednesday in 2027. It is day 76 of the year, leaving 289 days remaining after it.
March 17, 2027 sits three days before the spring equinox on Saturday, March 20, and eleven days before Easter Sunday on March 28.
Frequently asked questions
What day of the week is March 17, 2027?
Wednesday. Because it falls midweek, most American parades scheduled for the nearest weekend will be held on Saturday, March 13 or Sunday, March 14. Note that Sunday, March 14, 2027 is already carrying Selection Sunday, the Academy Awards and the start of daylight saving time.
Where was the first St. Patrick’s Day parade?
St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601 — not Ireland. The first recorded parade on the feast day was held in the Spanish colonial settlement. Irish soldiers in the British Army marched in Boston in 1737 and in New York in 1762, and the New York parade has since become the largest in the world.
Was Saint Patrick Irish?
No. He was born in Britain to a Roman-citizen family in the late fourth century. He was taken to Ireland at sixteen as a captive, escaped after six years, and returned as a missionary in 432. He died on March 17, 461 at Saul in County Down.
