The keyword phrase "patriots day original date" functions grammatically as a noun phrase. The core component and main point is the noun "date." The words "original" (an adjective) and "Patriots' Day" (a proper noun acting as a noun adjunct) both serve to modify and specify this central noun.
The original date for the observance of Patriots' Day was April 19. This specific date was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which occurred on April 19, 1775, marking the start of the American Revolutionary War. The holiday was observed on this fixed date in Massachusetts and Maine for many decades.
In 1969, the observance was officially changed. To create a three-day weekend, both Massachusetts and Maine moved the holiday from the fixed date of April 19 to the third Monday in April. Therefore, while the historical anniversary remains April 19, the legal public holiday now floats to a specific Monday each year.
