Patriot's Day (sometimes spelled "Patriots' Day" or without the apostrophe) is a holiday in the U.S. states of Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin. It is on April 19, in honor of the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which is generally considered to be the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. In recent years it has generally been observed on the Monday nearest that date, to provide a three-day long weekend. Since 1969, the holiday has been observed on the third Monday in April.

The Boston Marathon is run on this day every year. Also, the Boston Red Sox traditionally play home games on this date, typically starting at 11 AM. Many schools, elementary through high school, take the entire week off as "April vacation."

This holiday is not to be confused with Patriot Day, which is the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It is also not to be confused with La Journée Nationale des Patriotes (National Patriotes Day), a holiday in the Canadian province of Québec celebrating the members of the Parti patriote who fought in the Lower Canada Rebellion.

See also

• Holidays of the United States

External links

• Patriot's Day information from NOBLE