Which states in the USA celebrate Patriot's Day? Find out here
Barring Massachusetts, which states in the USA celebrate Patriot's Day? Find its answer and all other relevant information about it in this article.
- Lifestyle News
- 2 min read
The third Monday in April is known as "Marathon Monday" by most Massachusetts citizens and long-distance runners. For the past 120 years, the Boston Marathon has shared the spotlight in the Bay State with another event - Patriots' Day. Barring Massachusetts, which states in the USA celebrate Patriot's Day? Well, the answer is Maine and Wisconsin are the only two states where the holiday is legally observed (although they still celebrate it on April 19). Residents of Florida are allowed to participate as well, although it is not an official Sunshine State holiday.
Patriot's Day celebration and all there is to it
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, which took place on April 19, 1775, marked the beginning of the colonists' war for independence from Great Britain. Just two months after Parliament proclaimed Massachusetts in revolt, the colony's courageous citizens took up arms and fought for freedom, ultimately leading to the formation of the United States of America. This is the history behind the holiday but this is not all there is to it.
Governor Frederic T. Greenhalge of Massachusetts wanted to replace Fast Day (a then-rarely observed day of fasting and prayer that had been around since the 17th century) in the state calendar without costing his constituents a day of work in 1894. Greenhalge was inspired by the state's valiant fight for independence from British control, and renamed the holiday Patriots' Day and moved it to April 19. The latest commemoration will not only honour the battles that formally marked the American Revolution but also mark the anniversary of the 1861 Baltimore riot, which is widely regarded as the American Civil War's first bloodshed.
The Boston Marathon was introduced to the celebration of Patriots' Day in 1897, influenced by the restoration of the marathon race at the preceding year's summer Olympic games in Athens. It became a much-loved April 19 tradition, almost as much as the holiday itself. The Boston Red Sox have also joined in on Patriots' Day by hosting a game at Fenway Park at 11:05 am enabling fans to see the race finish (a tradition that started in 1959). To make a three-day weekend, the entire celebration was moved to the third Monday in April in 1969.