The term "Patriots' Day Lexington and Concord" functions as a compound proper noun phrase. In this construction, "Patriots' Day" is the primary noun, identifying a specific civic holiday. "Lexington and Concord" serves as an adjectival modifier, specifying the geographical and historical context of the observance. The entire phrase refers to the holiday as it is commemorated in relation to the foundational events that occurred in those Massachusetts towns.
This holiday, observed on the third Monday in April in Massachusetts and Maine, commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which took place on April 19, 1775. These engagements were the first military conflicts of the American Revolutionary War. British regulars marched from Boston with orders to seize a colonial arms cache in Concord. They were confronted by colonial Minutemen first on Lexington Green and later at Concord's North Bridge. The ensuing conflict marked the outbreak of open, armed hostilities between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies.
The practical application of this term is to specifically denote the historical reenactments, parades, and civic ceremonies that occur in the towns of Lexington and Concord as part of the broader holiday observance. It distinguishes these site-specific, historically-focused events from other regional activities associated with the holiday, such as the Boston Marathon. The phrase therefore encapsulates the direct link between a modern commemorative holiday and the precise historical events and locations it honors, serving as a key element of regional civic identity and historical memory.
