Patriots' Day is not a federal holiday in the United States. It is an official state holiday recognized and observed in Massachusetts and Maine. Additionally, it is a public school holiday in Connecticut and has been recognized as a statewide holiday in Wisconsin since 2018, though it is not a paid day off for public employees there.
The distinction lies in the enacting authority. Federal holidays are designated by the U.S. Congress for federal employees and institutions across the entire country. State holidays, conversely, are established by individual state legislatures and apply only within that state's jurisdiction. Patriots' Day commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first engagements of the American Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. It is observed annually on the third Monday in April, a date chosen to create a three-day weekend.
As a result of its state-level status, federal offices, such as post offices and federal courts located within Massachusetts and Maine, remain open on Patriots' Day. The holiday's primary impact is the closure of state and local government offices, schools, and many private businesses within the observing states. For the vast majority of the U.S. population, the day is a regular business day without official observance.
