Patriots' Day is a state holiday observed on the third Monday in April. It is an official public holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, and is also recognized as a public school holiday in Wisconsin.
The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first armed conflicts of the American Revolutionary War, which took place on April 19, 1775. Initially, the day was observed on the fixed date of April 19. In 1969, Massachusetts law shifted the observance to the third Monday in April to create a three-day weekend, a practice that Maine later adopted.
The most prominent contemporary event associated with the holiday is the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriots' Day annually since 1897. The day is also marked by historical reenactments, including the ride of Paul Revere and the battles at Lexington Green and the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts.
