Whatever you do, please do not call it St Patty's Day... it's "Saint Paddy's Day," not "Saint Patty's Day."

You may, however, call it St. Paddy's Day, or Paddy's Day. Also acceptable are the traditional St. Patrick's Day and Patrick's Day.

253 Parade is LIVE: Happy St Patrick's Day... Watch the NYC Parade Live: http://www.nbcnewyork.com

This Week in History, Mar 16 - Mar 22

Mar 16, 1802
U.S. Military Academy established. The United States Military Academy--the first military school in the United States--is founded by Congress for the purpose of educating and training young men in the theory and practice of military science. Located at West Point, New York, the U.S. Military Academy is often simply known as West Point. Located on the high west bank of New York's Hudson River, West Point was the site of a Revolutionary-era fort built to protect the Hudson River Valley from British attack. In 1780, Patriot General Benedict Arnold, the commander of the fort, agreed to surrender West Point to the British in exchange for 6,000 pounds. However, the plot was uncovered before it fell into British hands, and Arnold fled to the British for protection.

Mar 17, 461
Saint Patrick dies. On this day in 461 A.D., Saint Patrick, Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, dies at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland. Much of what is known about Patrick's legendary life comes from the Confessio, a book he wrote during his last years. Born in Great Britain, probably in Scotland, to a well-to-do Christian family of Roman citizenship, Patrick was captured and enslaved at age 16 by Irish marauders. For the next six years, he worked as a herder in Ireland, turning to a deepening religious faith for comfort. Following the counsel of a voice he heard in a dream one night, he escaped and found passage on a ship to Britain, where he was eventually reunited with his family. According to the Confessio, in Britain Patrick had another dream, in which an individual named Victoricus gave him a letter, entitled "The Voice of the Irish." As he read it, Patrick seemed to hear the voices of Irishmen pleading him to return to their country and walk among them once more. After studying for the priesthood, Patrick was ordained a bishop. He arrived in Ireland in 433 and began preaching the Gospel, converting many thousands of Irish and building churches around the country. After 40 years of living in poverty, teaching, traveling and working tirelessly, Patrick died on March 17, 461 in Saul, where he had built his first church.

The following streets in Manhattan will be closed on Monday from 11 am to 5 pm for The Big Apple St. Patrick’s Day Parade:

5th Avenue between 42nd Street and 86th Street
Madison Avenue between 63rd Street and 64th Street
Vanderbilt Avenue from 43rd Street to 46th Street
44th Street and 45th Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and 6th Avenue
46th Street to 48th Street between Park Avenue and 6th Avenue
63rd Street and 64th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
80th Street to 85th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue

One of four lanes on the Williamsburg Bridge eastbound to Brooklyn will be closed on Saturday from 6 am to 2 pm to facilitate NYCDOT bridge maintenance.

Traffic on the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge over Newtown Creek (the John Jay Byrne Bridge) will be reduced to one lane in each direction on Saturday between 7 am and 1 pm for repair of armored expansion joints.

One of two lanes on the Union Street Bridge over the Gowanus Canal will be closed northbound on Sunday from 7 am to 1 pm to facilitate NYCDOT bridge maintenance.