21-04-2025
What is Patriots' Day? What to know about the Revolutionary War holiday
This year marks a special anniversary for Patriots' Day.
Patriots' Day, celebrated the third Monday in April, recognizes the battles of Lexington and Concord as well as the aftermath of the "shot heard 'round the world." The day is celebrated with historical reenactments, sporting events and parades.
This year's celebration will be extra special as it marks the 250th anniversary of the battles and the start of the American Revolution.
But where did Patriots' Day come from, and how is it celebrated? Here's what you need to know about the holiday.
Patriots' Day was first celebrated in Massachusetts in 1894, proclaimed by Gov. Frederic Greenhalge as a compromise between competing efforts by the towns of Lexington and Concord to mark the day with their own names, according to the National Governors Association.
The holiday was originally observed on April 19, the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, but was moved to the third Monday of April in 1969.
Apart from Massachusetts, the holiday is also recognized in Maine, Connecticut, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Florida.
In Maine, which established the holiday in 1907, Patriots' Day is actually spelled differently, written instead as "Patriot's Day." The reason for the change in spelling is completely unknown, according to The Portland Press Herald.
Patriots' Day is a school holiday in Wisconsin. Florida recognizes the holiday, but it is not an official holiday in the state. North Dakota recognized the holiday in 2021, and Connecticut recognized the holiday in 2018.
For Boston locals, Patriots' Day is chaotic, with the city often in gridlock.
Apart from the historical celebrations, which include reenactments at Minuteman National Park in Lincoln and parades in Concord and other cities in the Boston suburbs, Boston has two longtime traditions that bring hundreds of thousands of people to the city.
The Boston Red Sox traditionally play at home in Fenway Park with the first pitch usually at 11:10 a.m., something that the team has done for more than six decades.
According to the Boston Globe, the game is scheduled at that time so that fans can walk to nearby Kenmore Square to cheer Boston Marathon runners as they enter the last mile of the race.
At the same time, the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriots' Day since 1897, brings tens of thousands of people to participate and witness the marathon, the Boston Athletic Association said.
The race's only cancellation came in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 version was postponed to Oct. 11 for the same reason.
In 2013, three people were killed and hundreds were wounded during the Boston Marathon bombings, when two men detonated homemade bombs at the race's finish line.
Contributing: James Powel, USA TODAY and James E. Kukstis,
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Patriots' Day? Holiday more than just Boston Marathon
