Patriots’ Day 2025 commemorated the 250th anniversary of the historic Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington and Concord. Mon. April 21, 2025, Massachusetts saw the live reenactment of the battle at the Lexington Battle Green, the annual 5-mile run following the reenactment, an afternoon parade, and the Boston Marathon in the greater Boston area. 

To commemorate the historic day, “events and reenactments occur[red] all weekend long in Lexington and the surrounding communities, and along the historic Battle Road in Minute Man Historical Hospital.” (lexingtonhistory.org) 

The weekend also celebrated the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the ride where Revere and other riders alerted colonial militias of impending British attacks. April 18, the 250th anniversary of the ride was commemorated by events in Boston, primarily in Boston’s North End and Charlestown. 

In commemoration of Paul Revere’s historic ride, a Boston art collective used this holiday as an opportunity to spread a message that fights against President Trump and his administration. Boston’s Old North Church, a staple landmark in the city and the location where the lanterns were used to declare the route of Britain’s invasion during the Revolutionary War; ‘one if by land, two if by sea.’ (fastcompany.com)

This year, the Old North Church was used again to emphasize a message, and this time about our current president and the state of the United States in 2025. The steeple displayed three messages, including “ ‘The Revolution Started Here and It Never Left,’ ‘Let the Warning Ride Forth Once More: Tyranny Is at Our Door,’ and ‘One if by Land, Two if by D.C.’ ” (fastcompany.com)

The messages, used as “digs” against the President, aimed to remind the American people to have hope in dark times, and to “ ‘let Boston once more be the beacon in the country’s hour of darkness and relight the rallying signal to protect our liberty.’ ”(fastcompany.com)

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation regarding Patriots’ Day on the official White House website. In his proclamation, Trump said “we honor the memories, remember the sacrifices, and summon the courage of every hero of liberty who gallantly shed his blood for the cause of independence on April 19, 1775.” (whitehouse.gov)

Speaking of the tyranny imposed by the British, Trump honored the historic work done by Paul Revere and his midnight ride, and the implications that these historic events had on the foundation of the country. 

Trump continued in the proclamation to state “April 19, 1775, stands to this day as a seminal milestone in our Nation’s righteous crusade for liberty and independence.  On this day 250 years ago, with the fire of freedom blazing in their souls, an extraordinary army of American minutemen defeated one of the mightiest armies on the face of the earth and laid the foundation for America’s ultimate triumph over tyranny.” (whitehouse.gov)

In today’s divided political climate, the entire idea and definition of patriotism remains in question. What does that word mean for our country in 2025? 

Professor and Sociology Department Chair Tauna Sisco said that “there is wide discourse and research on understanding patriotic sentiment and its perceived impact on political engagement.” Is there such a thing as being too patriotic? Not patriotic enough? The area of discourse examines the implications of patriotism on politics, a political landscape, and how people engage with politics. 

“Patriotism transcends the plane of just a national identity; it’s a cultural and political product of emotion, love, pride, and group identity that cuts across class structure,” Sisco said. “Patriotism is different from nationalism in that nationalistic sentiment is often linked to ethnic identity (creating a pure dominant group through the exclusion of minority members), power, wealth, and control; whereas patriotism acts as a glue that binds people together,” Sisco added. 

Patriotism is not only a sentiment held by a country’s civilians and government, but it can also be used as a valuable tool during vulnerable times. “During wartime or incidences of global conflict, patriotism often amplifies creating a temporary unifying political support for leaders, known as Rally ‘Round the Flag phenomenon,” Sisco said. 

The question of patriotism today lies within the idea of true patriotism and patriotic sentiment, or dangerous and unnecessary nationalistic patriotism. “Research on patriotism sorts patriots into two categories: Blind patriotism, defined as an unwavering, uncritical allegiance to one’s country, and constructive patriotism, defined as a more critical role of government and exercise for change.  In their research on blind and constructive patriotism, Schatz and Staub (1997) found that respondents who identified as constructive patriots were more likely to obtain political information and engage in political activism than their blind patriot counterparts,” Sisco said.

Upon this sensitive time of politics in the United States, Sisco shared her favorite quote regarding patriotism in the country. Sisco said one of her favorite quotes is “ ‘Citizens by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections.  The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism’–George Washington 1796” 

Wherever you stand politically, the Patriots’ Day holiday continues to celebrates the fight for independence in the United States.