Patriots’ Day: How Long Has This Historic Holiday Been Around?

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So you’re wondering just how long Patriots’ Day has been a thing, right? It’s a pretty cool question because this holiday isn’t one of those old-school federal holidays like Independence Day. Instead, it’s a state-level observation that’s got its own unique history. We’re talking about the day that celebrates the start of the American Revolution – the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. But the holiday itself wasn’t created back then. It took a while for folks to decide they wanted a whole day off to remember those events. Let’s break it down, real simple.

First up, we gotta look at Massachusetts. That’s the state where the battles happened, and they’re the ones who started the whole ball rolling. For a long time, Massachusetts had something called “Fast Day” – a religious day of prayer and fasting. But by the late 1800s, people started thinking, “Hey, maybe we should swap that out for something that celebrates our state’s big moment in history.” So in 1894, the Massachusetts legislature officially replaced Fast Day with Patriots’ Day. That means the holiday has been around for, yep, about 130 years. (As of 2024, it’s been 130 years. Ain’t that something?)

But wait – it wasn’t always the third Monday in April. Originally, Patriots’ Day was observed on April 19 itself, the exact date of the battles. That worked fine until 1969, when the state decided to shift it to a Monday so people could enjoy a long weekend. (Sound familiar? That’s what happened with a bunch of federal holidays too.) So since 1969, it’s been the third Monday of April. Maine hopped on board the Patriots’ Day train later – they started observing it in 1907, also replacing Fast Day. And today, a few other states like Connecticut, North Dakota, and Wisconsin either celebrate it or have some kind of commemoration, but it’s really a big deal in Massachusetts and Maine.

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What about other states? Did they adopt it later? You bet. While Massachusetts and Maine are the only two states where it’s a full legal holiday with state offices shut down, other places have their own versions. For example, Wisconsin used to celebrate it but then replaced it with Veterans Day back in the 1990s. And in Florida, they’ve got a “Patriots’ Day” on September 11 to honor first responders – totally different thing. So the original Patriots’ Day (April-themed) has been around in some form for over a hundred years, but its spread and recognition have been a slow burn.

Another common question: Is Patriots’ Day a paid holiday? For most state employees in Massachusetts and Maine, yes. For schools, it’s often a day off, plus the big deal is the Boston Marathon – that’s always run on Patriots’ Day Monday. So even though it’s not a federal holiday (banks and post offices stay open), it’s a major local holiday. And because the marathon draws international attention, lots of people outside New England hear about it every year.

And one more thing – the name itself has a backstory. “Patriots’ Day” was chosen to honor those who fought for independence. In 1985, Massachusetts changed the name slightly to “Patriots’ Day” with an apostrophe before the “s” – meaning it’s the day of many patriots. Before that, it was sometimes written as “Patriots Day” without the apostrophe. So the holiday’s identity has evolved even as its length of existence grew.

So to wrap it all up: Patriots’ Day as a state holiday has been around since 1894, which is 130 years now. The battles it commemorates are way older, of course – 1775. So if you’re counting from the actual event, that’s 249 years. But as an official day off from work and school? That’s a solid 130-year tradition. Not too shabby for a holiday that started as a swap-out for a day of fasting.

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