<P> Saint Patrick's Day, although a legal holiday only in Suffolk County, Massachusetts (where it is recognized alongside Evacuation Day) and Savannah, Georgia, is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated throughout the United States . It is primarily celebrated as a recognition of Irish and Irish American culture; celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, eating and drinking, religious observances, and numerous parades . The holiday has been celebrated on the North American continent since the late 18th century . </P> <P> According to the National Retail Federation, consumers in the United States spent $4.4 billion on St. Patrick's Day in 2016 . This amount is down from the $4.8 billion spent in 2014 . </P> <P> The world's first recorded St Patrick's Day celebration was in St. Augustine, Florida, in the year 1600 according to Dr. Michael Franicis's 2017 research in the Spanish Archives of the Indies . Franicis discovered the first St. Patrick Day Parade was also in St. Augustine in 1601. . Both were organized by the Spanish Colony's Irish vicar Ricardo Artur (Richard Arthur). </P> <P> The Charitable Irish Society of Boston organized the first observance of Saint Patrick's Day in the Thirteen Colonies in 1737 . Surprisingly, the celebration was not Catholic in nature, Irish immigration to the colonies having been dominated by Protestants . The society's purpose in gathering was simply to honor its homeland, and although they continued to meet annually to coordinate charitable works for the Irish community in Boston, they did not meet on 16 March again until 1794 . During the observance of the day, individuals attended a service of worship and a special dinner . </P>

Where was the first st patrick's day parade held