Patriot's Day

Rather than run a "traditional" flag photograph, I took the one above looking up into the folded flag in front of our house.   It's kind of a unique shot, don't you think?

(Photo is property of Susan Wicker so please don't use it without permission.)

Today is Patriot's Day in Massachusetts.


It's been a public holiday here since 1969. 

It commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution which took place in the communities of Lexington and Concord in 1775.

Here in Massachusetts, Patriot's Day is always observed on the third Monday in April.

Maine also celebrates the holiday as it was once part of Massachusetts. 

I've never been to Lexington or Concord but would like to visit those communities some day.

In Lexington and Concord, there are re-enactments of the battles as well as the midnight ride of Paul Revere, calling out warnings that the British were coming!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow even wrote a poem about the event, titled,  "Paul Revere's Ride."

The opening lines of the long poem are:

"Listen my children and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year. "


In addition to the Red Sox playing at home in Fenway Park on Patriot's Day, there's also a huge Boston Marathon that takes place annually on this holiday.

Hearing about high, hot temps forecast for today, I cannot help but feel sorry for all those poor runners.

Hope there's plenty of water for them to drink.

The holiday is fairly low key.


It's just a kind of 'remember when' holiday but one for which we will definitely fly the American flag.

I'm so thankful for the freedoms we have in the United States.

Even though this country is far from perfect, it's a great place to live and I am very grateful to be an American. 

HAVE YOU HEARD OF PATRIOT'S DAY?