Don’t you know, they’re talking about a revolution. But it doesn’t sound like a whisper.… It sounds like a lot of muskets firing at once. It’s Patriots’ Day!
I’ll think of something…
about Patriots’ Day
I grew up mostly in South Florida, with a few years in Colorado, then one year in Texas, seven years in New York City, and eight years in Seattle. In all those years, I’d never heard of Patriots’ Day.1 Not. Once. Apparently it’s a holiday. Who knew?
The husband, who is from New England—and I moved to the Boston area as newlyweds. When April rolled around, I saw he had a day off school and my own office was closed. “What’s this?” I asked him, and he gave a very astute and intellectual answer: “It’s this day off and they run the Boston Marathon and the Red Sox always play. And there’s copious amounts of beer! It’s awesome!” Sounded bogus to me.
Alas, dear reader, it turned out not to be bogus2. Of course, I don’t like baseball and copious amounts of beer isn’t really selling point for me (and I’m bitter I never got to run the Boston Marathon while I still had two good knees). But the husband left out a few things about Patriots’ Day, which is that it’s the anniversary (or close to it) of the Battle of Lexington, the Battle of Concord, and the Battle of Menotomy, the first skirmishes of the American Revolution. I used to describe it as the 4th of July, but with cold-weather wear, muskets, and better parades.
These days, I’d describe it as way better than the 4th of July, because Independence Day makes me think of ‘Murica and red hats. Patriots’ Day is about rebellion and freedom, something we seem to be forgetting about these days.
We live in a town that’s smack in the middle of all the revolutionary hoo-ha. For years it was our tradition to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the re-enactment of the Battle of Lexington, which begun at 5:15 a.m. The night before, watched Schoolhouse Rock history videos over and over.3
Back when I was running, the husband and the kids would drive to the Battle Green and I’d run there. They’d save a spot for me; I’d meet them with coffee and hot chocolate (on Patriots Day, the Lexington Starbucks opened at 4:30 a.m. for the holiday). Some years we went to see the Battle of the Old North Bridge in Concord. We watched to the Patriots’ Day Parades, and my girl’s Girl Scout troop always marched in our local parade. I would troop with the kids to Town Hall and wait for Paul Revere and William Dawes to ride by to let us know the Regulars were coming. Paul Revere was often late on his ride, but it still gave me a thrill to see him and his horse emerging from the traffic on Mass Ave. (One year, my kids even got Paul Revere’s autograph. Ahem.)
This year is the semiquincentennial (don’t make me say that out loud!)—the 250th anniversary—of these battles. Even though the kids are no longer living at home, I dragged the husband to watch the re-enactment of the Battle of Menotomy (Menotomy is a word I do know how to pronounce. You can ask me to say it for you the next time we meet.)
There were Minutemen! There were Redcoats! There were Loyalists running in fear!
We had great weather to watch people pretend to kill one another. And it was a good reminder that we don’t believe in kings, we can fight off tyranny, and dogs are especially cute in tricorn hats.
Down with kings! Long live Patriots’ Day!
about book sales
The Whisper Sister on Kindle is currently on sale in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, if you have friends who haven’t read it yet.
about Bailey (and Lucy)
We have a bonus dog for a few weeks! My cousin is traveling so we’re watching his puppers, Lucy. She’s a doll, though a little devilish (she managed to grab off the counter a big bag of [empty] pill pockets and chewed through the plastic to eat every last one of them). Lucy and Bailey could not be more different in temperament.
But what a joy to have two dogs in the house again!
Until next time, make good choices.
jennifer
Indulge me in reposting from 2011 a conversation I had with my then six-year-old daughter:
Me: I wonder if there’s mail today?
Pie: Why wouldn’t there be mail?
Me: Today is Patriots’ Day! Remember, that’s why you marched with the Daisies in the parade yesterday.
Pie: Patriots’ Day?
Me: Yep.
Pie: So, in Florida is it Dolphins’ Day?
Me: What?
Pie: Are they celebrating Dolphins’ Day in Florida?
I think for a moment.
Me: No, it’s not about football. It’s about the Battle of the Green and the Minutemen and the Red Coats.
Pie: Ooooo! That’s why they were talking about the American Revolution on NPR.
It’s so not bogus that if Patriots’ Day falls on April 15, tax day is postponed for us until April 16.
I am of the generation that when, in Social Studies, we had to memorize the preamble to the Constitution, you could hear people humming the tune from Schoolhouse Rock as we took our test.
Thanks Mrs. Rosenfeld!
Loved the recap of your conversation with your then 6 year old daughter! Long live Dolphins’ Day!!
And yes, School House Rock does indeed Rock!!