Patriots Day
| Patriots' Day | |
|---|---|
Statue of the Lexington Minuteman on the Lexington Green in Lexington, Massachusetts.
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| Observed by | Massachusetts, Maine, Wisconsin, encouraged in Florida. |
| Type | Historical |
| Celebrations | Boston Marathon |
| Observances | Battles of Lexington and Concord |
| Date | Third Monday in April |
| 2016 date | April 18 |
| 2017 date | April 17 |
| 2018 date | April 16 |
| 2019 date | April 15 |
| Frequency | annual |
Patriots' Day (officially Patriots' Day in Massachusetts and Wisconsin and Patriot's Day in Maine) is an official state holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. The holiday was originally celebrated on April 19, the actual anniversary of the battles (fought in 1775).
Since 1969, it has been observed on the third Monday in April in Massachusetts and in Maine, (which until 1820 was part of Massachusetts). The Monday holiday creates a three-day long weekend. It is also the first day of a vacation week for public schools in both states and a school holiday for many local colleges and universities, both public and private.
The day is a public school observance day in Wisconsin. Florida law also encourages people to celebrate it, though it is not treated as a public holiday.
Observances and re-enactments of the battles occur annually at Lexington Green in Lexington, Massachusetts (around 6:00 am) and the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts (around 9:00 am). In the morning, mounted re-enactors with state police escorts retrace the Midnight Rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes, calling out warnings the whole way.
The biggest celebration of Patriots' Day is the Boston Marathon, which has been run every Patriots' Day since April 19, 1897 to mark the then-recently established holiday, with the race linking the Athenian and American struggles for liberty (marathons being so named after the Greek Battle of Marathon).
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