Patriots' Day is a state holiday observed annually on the third Monday in April. It is an official public holiday in Massachusetts and Maine. While not an official holiday in Wisconsin, it is a special observance day for public schools.
The date commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which occurred on April 19, 1775, marking the start of the American Revolutionary War. The holiday was originally proclaimed in Massachusetts in 1894 for observance on April 19. In 1969, the date of observance was changed to the third Monday in April to create a three-day weekend, following the model of the federal Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
This timing has a significant practical application, as the Boston Marathon has been held on this day since 1897. Although the official civic holiday is on the Monday, historical reenactments and related commemorative events in the region are often scheduled on the preceding weekend or on the actual historical date of April 19.
