Patriots’ Day in Maine and Massachusetts
Calendars of different countries: US Holidays
Patriots’ Day is an official state holiday in Maine, Massachusetts and Wisconsin commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. The holiday was originally celebrated on April 19, the actual anniversary of the battles (fought in 1775).
In 1864 the Lexington Historical Society called for April 19 to be known as “Lexington Day”. However, not thinking this was fair, the people in Concord thought it should be named “Concord Day”. They eventually compromised and called it Patriots’ Day.
Since 1969, it has been observed on the third Monday in April in Massachusetts and in Maine, (which until the mid-19th century was part of Massachusetts). The Monday holiday creates a three-day long weekend. It is also the first day of a vacation week for public schools in both states and a school holiday for many local colleges and universities, both public and private.
The day is a public school observance day in Wisconsin. Florida law also encourages people to celebrate it, though it is not treated as a public holiday.
Observances and re-enactments of the battles occur annually at Lexington Green in Lexington, Massachusetts (around 6:00 am) and the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts (around 9:00 am). In the morning, mounted re-enactors with state police escorts retrace the Midnight Rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes, calling out warnings the whole way.
Patriot Day, holiday observed in the United States on September 11 to commemorate the lives of those who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia and those who perished when the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
Source: wikipedia.org
In 2017 Patriots’ Day in Maine and Massachusetts in USA falls on April 17.