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Patriots’ Day is a holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, originally celebrated on April 19th to honor the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It is now observed on the third Monday of April and includes reenactments, the Boston Marathon, and a Red Sox game.
Patriots’ Day is a civic holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in the state of Maine, which was originally part of Massachusetts. It was created to pay homage to the military skirmishes that marked the turning point in the long struggle for independence between the American colonies and England. Traditionally, Patriots Day was celebrated on April 19, in honor of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, fought on this date in 1775. In recent years, however, Patriots Day has been observed on the third Monday of each April, thus providing residents with a three-day holiday weekend.
The history books tell that on the night of April 18, 1775, British General Thomas Gage decided to finally bring the emerging colonists back under British control. He ordered his men to destroy Patriot war supplies and to arrest and hide key members of the Patriot Rebellion. Although the general’s orders were to be followed in the utmost secrecy, Dr. Joseph Warren was informed of the nefarious plans and sent Paul Revere to warn the other soldiers.
As immortalized in Longfellow’s poem, The Midnight Ride, Paul Revere then rode on horseback from Boston to Lexington warning the Minutemen that the British were about to attack at dawn. British soldiers arrived in Lexington early in the morning, the “shot heard throughout the world” was fired, and the American Revolution officially began. The American Revolution finally ended in Yorktown on October 19, 1781, when Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington. A formal treaty officially ending the war was signed in 1783.
Patriots’ Day is a school holiday for many public colleges and universities in the area and in Wisconsin, such as MIT, Northeastern University, the University of Massachusetts, Babson College, Bentley College, and the Massachusetts College of Art. Tax Day falls on the same date as Patriots’ Day, extending the tax deadline by one day for lucky residents of Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. This is because the IRS processing center for these areas is located in Andover, Massachusetts.
In addition to numerous reenactments, the Boston Marathon is held on Patriot Day each year, which is why the holiday is also known as the Monday Marathon. The Boston Red Sox also have a tradition of playing a home game on this date, starting the game at the same time as the Boston Marathon. It is a popular custom for fans who leave the game to gather in Kenmore Square and cheer on the runners who run in the area.
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