Patriots' Day is not an official public holiday in the state of California. Consequently, state and local government offices, courts, public schools, and the majority of private businesses operate on a normal schedule. The day does not hold any legal status as a holiday within California's government or education codes.
The observance of Patriots' Day is a specific regional commemoration. It is an official state holiday only in Massachusetts and Maine, where it marks the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first armed conflicts of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. Held on the third Monday in April, its status as a holiday is rooted in the direct historical significance of these events to that specific region of the United States. Wisconsin also observes the day, but it is a special observance day for schools rather than a public holiday.
Confusion regarding its status often arises from the national prominence of the Boston Marathon, an event traditionally held on Patriots' Day in Massachusetts. While this event gives the date widespread recognition across the country, its legal standing as a public holiday is confined to the states with direct historical ties to the commemorated events, and does not extend to California.
