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Patriots’ Day is a civic holiday celebrated on the 3rd Monday of April. It serves to commemorate the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which marks the first battles of the American revolutionary war on April 19, 1775.
In 2015 Patriots’ Day was on April 20th. Next year, the holiday will fall on April 17th, 2017. And in 2018, Patriots’ Day will be on April 16.
When is Patriots’ Day This Year?
In 2016, Patriots’ Day is celebrated on April 18th.
What is Patriots’ Day & Why is it Celebrated?
In addition to commemorating the date of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, Patriots’ Day also marks the first bloodshed in the American Civil War in the Baltimore riot of 1861. Four members of the militia were killed and 36 were injured. Massachusetts’ Gov. Frederic T. Greenhalge explained Patriots’ Day celebrates “the anniversary of the birth of liberty and union.”
Important to note: do NOT confuse Patriots’ Day with Patriot Day, which was established by Congress in 2001 and falls on September 11.
How is Patriots’ Day Celebrated?
Awesome news for kids in Massachusetts and Maine, as they get Monday off as a part of a three-day long weekend. For public and private universities and colleges, Patriots’ Day marks the first day of a vacation week. Yes!
Famously, the Boston Marathon is run on Patriots’ Day every year. And the Boston Red Sox play at home in Fenway park on this April holiday. Historically, you could watch the Red Sox play, eat a lobster, and arrive just in time to see the marathon racers pass through Kenmore square. But since 2007, the schedules have changed, causing Bostonians the great dilemma of having to choose between the Red Sox and the Marathon – dividing otherwise happy family holidays into civil war zones.
To this day, the Red Sox/Marathon conflict remains unresolved.
