Patriots' Day

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Minuteman Statue on the Lexington Green in Lexington, Massachusetts

Patriots' Grave in the Old Burying Ground, Arlington, Massachusetts.

Acton Monmument, grave site of Abner Hosmer and Capt Isaac Davis who fell at North Bridge 4-19-1775.

For the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, see Patriot Day.

For the Quebec holiday, see National Patriotes Day.

Patriots' Day (sometimes spelled Patriot's Day or Patriots Day) is a civic holiday in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and Maine (once part of Massachusetts), and a public school observance day in Wisconsin. Traditionally it was observed on April 19, in honor of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, fought on that date in 1775. Since 1969, however, the holiday has been observed on the third Monday in April, providing a three-day long weekend. Observances and re-enactments of these first battles of the American Revolution occur annually at Lexington Green (~6am) and Minute Man National Historic Park (~9am).

The Boston Marathon is run on this day every year. Also, the Boston Red Sox have traditionally played a home game at Fenway on this date every year since 1960, typically starting at 11:00 a.m. ET, though for 2007 it is starting at 10:00 a.m.

Occasionally Tax Day falls on this day or the preceding weekend, causing the tax deadline to be extended by a day for the residents of Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. This is because the IRS processing center for these areas is located in Andover, Massachusetts, and is closed on Patriots' Day.