The date 19 April 1775 marks the Battles of Lexington and Concord—the first two armed conflicts which began the American Revolutionary War. And, since 1894, Massachusetts has commemorated the day as Patriots’ Day. Costumed re-enactments are staged at Lexington Green and Concord’s Old North Bridge. And, naturally, a mounted horseman re-traces the route of Paul Revere from Boston to Lexington.
Since 1969, the holiday has been observed on the third Monday of each April. Children get the day off from school, a Red Sox home game is always scheduled for Fenway Park and the Boston Marathon is run (resulting in the holiday’s second name, “Marathon Monday”).
The “Minuteman” statue, pictured above, was sculpted by Henry Hudson Kitson and erected on Lexington Green in 1900. The photo was taken during my visit to Lexington last autumn.