Patriots' Day

History

In 1894, the Lexington Historical Society petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to proclaim April 19 as "Lexington Day". Concord countered with "Concord Day". However, the biggest battle fought on this day was in the town of Menotomy—now Arlington, Massachusetts—on the Concord Road between Lexington and Boston. Governor Frederic T. Greenhalge opted for a compromise: Patriots' Day.

Governor Greenhalge proclaimed Patriots' Day in Massachusetts in 1894, replacing Fast Day as a public holiday. It was established on April 19, commemorating the date of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the larger Battle of Menotomy in 1775, and consolidating the longstanding municipal observances of Lexington Day and Concord Day. It also marked the first bloodshed of the American Civil War in the Baltimore riot of 1861. The dual commemoration, Greenhalge explained, celebrated "the anniversary of the birth of liberty and union". It is likely that the battles that took place in Menotomy are not as well known as the smaller battles in Lexington and Concord because the town has had several names since that day in 1775. In 1938, the Massachusetts legislature passed a bill establishing the holiday "in commemoration of the opening events of the War of the Revolution".

Maine followed Massachusetts in 1907 and replaced its Fast Day with Patriot's Day. On June 10, 2017, Governor Dannel Malloy signed a bill establishing Patriots' Day as a statewide unpaid holiday in Connecticut, and Connecticut became the fifth state to recognize the holiday on April 16, 2018. On March 19, 2019, Governor Doug Burgum signed a bill recognizing Patriots' Day in the state of North Dakota.{{cite web|title=Patriots Day Event to be held at State Capitol April 15, 2019

Description

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 the Missouri Compromise of 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 legal holiday. Connecticut began observance in 2018 and North Dakota in 2019. Utah recognized April 19th as Patriot's Day in 2025.

Observances

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) and in Arlington, Massachusetts on the Sunday before Patriot's Day. Tours are available of the Jason Russell House in Arlington, Massachusetts on Sunday and Monday. On Monday morning, mounted re-enactors with state police escorts retrace the Midnight Rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes, calling out warnings the whole way.

Up to 60 events take place before and during the Patriots' Day weekend. Battle re-enactments are held in several locations including Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, Medford, Lexington, Concord, and Lincoln, plus a few others. Parades are held in Lexington, Concord, Boston, Bedford, and Arlington. Other observances of the weekend include tours of historic houses and pancake breakfasts.

Sporting events

The most significant celebration of Patriots' Day is the Boston Marathon, which has been run every Patriots' Day since April 19, 1897 (except in 2020 and 2021) to mark the then-recently established holiday, with the race linking the Athenian and American struggles for liberty.

The Boston Red Sox have been scheduled to play at home in Fenway Park on Patriots' Day every year since 1959. The game was postponed due to weather in 1959, 1961, 1965, 1967, 1984, and 2018. It was canceled in 1995 due to the baseball strike, and again in 2020 due to COVID-19. The game was played in 2013 despite the Boston Marathon bombing because it had finished before the bombs went off. From 1968 to 2006 the games started early, in the morning, around 11:00 am. The early start to these games usually resulted in the games' ending just as the runners headed through Kenmore Square. However, since 2007 the marathon has started between 9:30 am and 10:00 am, causing the racers to pass through Kenmore closer to the middle of the Red Sox game.

References

References

1. McMillan, Susan. (April 20, 2014). "Patriot's Day or Patriots' Day? Punctuation confusion continues". Kennebec Journal.
2. (2010-05-06). "Battle of Menotomy – First Blood, 1775".
3. (July 13, 2017). "Patriots' Day Becomes Official Statewide Holiday!".
4. (July 3, 2017). "Patriots Day Coming to Connecticut". Waterbury Republican-American.
5. (15 April 2018). "Patriots' Day 2018: What's open, what's closed, details on extended tax deadline, Boston Marathon, MBTA service and more". MassLive.
6. Cabrero, Alex. (2025-04-19). "Utah honors 250th anniversary of the 'Shot Heard Round the World' with ceremony at the Capitol".
7. "Massachusetts Legal Holidays". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
8. "Holidays". Maine Bureau of Human Resources.
9. {{cite act. (2001). link
10. "Wisconsin Public School Observance Days". Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
11. "1976 supplement to the Florida Statues (1975)".
12. "HCR007".
13. (2012-07-05). "Jason Russell House".
14. "News {{!}} Town of Arlington".
15. Rousseau, Morgan. "Paul Revere's famous Midnight Ride makes its way from the North End to Charlestown".
16. "Patriots Day Parade".
17. "Patriots Day Schedule".
18. (April 17, 2013). "The History of the Boston Marathon: A Perfect Way to Celebrate Patriot's Day". The Atlantic.
19. "1995. Boston Red Sox Box Scores". Baseball-reference.com.
20. "MLB Scores, Standings, Box Scores for Monday, April 15, 2013".
21. (June 19, 2012). "Patriots' Day game may start earlier". [[Boston Red Sox]].