Annually held on the third Monday in April and celebrated as a state holiday in Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and, as of 2018, Connecticut, Patriots’ Day commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, which were fought near Boston in 1775.
Beginning this year at YCCAC, Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans, and which was declared a federal holiday in 2021, will replace Patriots’ Day as a recognized holiday. YCCAC offices will close on Monday, June 20, to celebrate Juneteenth, and will not close on April 18, the date previously recognized and celebrated in Maine as Patriots’ Day.
To learn more about Juneteenth, read Remarks by President Biden at Signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, excerpted below:
On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice. And, we celebrate the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us to this time of progress and possibility. That work has been led throughout our history by abolitionists and educators, civil rights advocates and lawyers, courageous activists and trade unionists, public officials, and everyday Americans who have helped make real the ideals of our founding documents for all.
Correction: On Friday, this post incorrectly noted that Maine no longer recognizes Patriots’ Day as a state holiday. Maine does in fact recognize Patriots’ Day as a state holiday, and Juneteenth as a federal holiday.