Patriots' Day is a civic holiday observed annually on the third Monday in April. It is an official state holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which took place on April 19, 1775, and marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
Historically, the holiday was celebrated on the fixed date of April 19. To create a three-day weekend, the observance was moved to the third Monday of the month in Massachusetts in 1969 and in Maine in 1959. While it is a legal public holiday in those two states, Wisconsin also officially recognizes it as a special observance day for public schools, though it is not a general public holiday there.
The modern observance of the holiday is associated with several major cultural and sporting events. The most prominent is the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriots' Day since 1897. The day is also marked by historical reenactments of the 1775 battles in Lexington and Concord, as well as a traditional morning home game for the Boston Red Sox baseball team at Fenway Park.
