The core subject of the query, "Patriots' Day weekend," functions grammatically as a noun phrase. This three-day period is anchored by Patriots' Day, a state holiday observed on the third Monday of April. Consequently, the weekend encompasses the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding this specific Monday.
Patriots' Day is an official public holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which marked the start of the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. Originally observed on the fixed date of April 19, Massachusetts moved the holiday to the third Monday in April in 1969 to create a three-day weekend, a practice later adopted by Maine. This timing also aligns it with the annual running of the Boston Marathon, which has been held on the holiday since 1897.
To determine the dates for any specific year, one must identify the third Monday of that April. The date of this Monday holiday fluctuates annually, falling between April 15th and April 21st. For example, if the third Monday of April is April 17th, the corresponding weekend begins on Saturday, April 15th and concludes on the 17th.
