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.
When did Patriots’ Day become a 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.
Where is Patriots’ Day celebrated?
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.
