The keyword phrase "what day was patriots day last year" is an interrogative clause, which functions as a direct question. The core part of speech that represents the main subject of this query is the noun, specifically the proper noun "Patriots Day" and the common noun "day". The rest of the clause provides temporal context ("last year") and grammatical structure ("what," "was") to form the query. In the previous year, 2023, Patriots' Day occurred on Monday, April 17.
The date for Patriots' Day is determined by its observance on the third Monday of April. This is a state-level holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Because the date is tied to a specific day of the week rather than a fixed calendar date, it changes annually. For the year 2023, the calendar dates for the Mondays in April were the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th. Following the "third Monday" rule, the correct date was therefore April 17, 2023.
Understanding this date calculation is practically significant due to its direct connection with the Boston Marathon. The marathon is traditionally held on Patriots' Day each year, making the holiday a major event for athletes, spectators, and the city of Boston. Therefore, identifying the date of Patriots' Day for a specific year is crucial for planning and scheduling related to this internationally recognized sporting event.
