Patriots' Day is a state holiday observed annually on the third Monday of April. In the current year, 2024, it is celebrated on April 15. This observance is official in Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin, commemorating the anniversary of the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.
The holiday marks the date of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which took place on April 19, 1775. While originally observed on the fixed date of April 19, legislation in Massachusetts (1969) and Maine moved the holiday to the third Monday of the month. This change aligned it with the practice of creating three-day weekends for federal holidays and has become the standard for its observance. The date is also famously associated with the running of the Boston Marathon.
Because the celebration is tied to a day of the week rather than a specific calendar date, its exact date varies annually. To determine the date for any future year, one must identify the third Monday of that April. This floating schedule directly affects public school calendars, state government operations, and the planning of commemorative events in the observing states.
