Patriots' Day is a state holiday observed on the third Monday in April in Massachusetts, Maine, and, unofficially, in Connecticut. Wisconsin also designates it as a public school holiday. It is not a federal holiday and is therefore not observed nationwide.
The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first armed conflicts of the American Revolutionary War, which took place on April 19, 1775. Initially, the holiday was observed on the fixed date of April 19. However, in 1969, Massachusetts enacted a law to move its observance to the third Monday of the month, creating a three-day weekend. Maine followed this practice shortly thereafter.
The most prominent modern observance of the day is the running of the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriots' Day every year since 1897, with few exceptions. The day is also marked by historical reenactments of the battles and Paul Revere's ride, particularly in the towns of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Many schools and state and local government offices in the observing states are closed.
