above photo: courtesy of Mass. Office of Travel & Tourism

Outside of New England, the holiday of Patriots’ Day is largely unfamiliar to most Americans—unless you’re a marathon runner, that is. This unique holiday, celebrated only in Massachusetts and Maine, commemorates the opening battle of the American Revolution in Lexington and Concord, which took place April 19, 1775. April 19 has also had a long association with the Boston Marathon as the day the famed race annually takes place—more or less.
   In 1897, the year of the first Boston Marathon, the decision was made to have the contest on the day of the relatively new holiday. Patriots’ Day was established in 1894 to recognize the beginnings of American independence, and replaced an archaic holiday called Fast Day, a time for reflection and prayer. The Boston Athletic Association, who created the Boston Marathon, was inspired by the revived Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, which featured the first modern marathon. Since the idea of the marathon was patterned after a messenger’s run in ancient Greece signaling a victory for the burgeoning democracy over despotic invaders, Patriots’ Day was the perfect fit for the race. Uniformed minutemen even rode bicycles alongside the original 15 competitors, offering water and support. For many years, the Boston Marathon was held on April 19, regardless of the day of the week, unless it was a Sunday, in which case it was contested on Monday, April 20. In 1969, however, the holiday was officially moved to the third Monday in April to create a long weekend, and the Marathon moved its race day as a result.  
   For the history buffs out there, Minute Man National Historical Park (refer to listing, page 48)—which encompasses many of the sites in Lexington, Concord and Lincoln involved in that momentous first battle—celebrates each Patriots’ Day with a series of ceremonies and re-enactments (pictured) of the events surrounding the skirmish. For more information, visit nps.gov/mima. Another observance surrounding the holiday is an annual re-creation of the rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes, who rode out of Boston to warn patriots of the coming British troops. Visit nationallancers.org for details. And the Old North Church (refer to listing, page 50) hosts the 240th Annual Old North Lantern Ceremony on April 19 at 8 p.m. in recognition of the signal that spurred Revere and Dawes on their mission.