Patriots' Day was not previously known by another name. It was established under its current title in Massachusetts in 1894 as a new civic holiday to commemorate the anniversary of the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.
The creation of this holiday was specifically intended to replace Fast Day, a traditional Puritan day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer that had been observed in the region since the 17th century. By the late 19th century, the observance of Fast Day had declined significantly. Governor Frederic T. Greenhalge signed the new holiday into law to honor the historical events of April 19, 1775namely the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the start of the Siege of Boston.
Consequently, while Patriots' Day did take the place of Fast Day on the calendar, it was not a renaming or a rebranding of the earlier observance. The two holidays have entirely different origins, purposes, and themes; one was a solemn religious day, while the other is a secular, historical commemoration of a specific military engagement.
