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| March 17 is '''Evacuation Day''', a ] observed in ] (which includes the cities of ], Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop)<ref name="LegalHoliday">]</ref> and also by the ] in ].<ref name="Somerville">]</ref> The holiday commemorates the ] of ] forces from the city of ] following the ], early in the ]. |
March 17 is '''Evacuation Day''', a ] observed in ] (which includes the cities of ], Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop)<ref name="LegalHoliday">]</ref> and also by the ] in ].<ref name="Somerville">]</ref> The holiday commemorates the ] of ] forces from the city of ] following the ], early in the ]. Schools and government offices (including some<ref>For example, the RMV offices are all open.</ref> ] state government offices located in Suffolk County) are closed. If March 17 falls on a weekend, schools and government offices are closed on the following Monday in observance. It is the same day as ], a coincidence that played a role in the establishment of the holiday.<ref name=wbur/> | ||
| ==Historical background== | ==Historical background== | ||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
| ==Establishment of the holiday== | ==Establishment of the holiday== | ||
| While ] parades have been held in Boston since 1876, Evacuation Day was not declared a holiday in the city until 1901,<ref name="Vrabel241">], p. 241</ref> amid interest in local history that also resulted in the construction of the ] Monument. The state made it a holiday in Suffolk County in 1938.<ref name="Vrabel241"/> |
While ] parades have been held in Boston since 1876, Evacuation Day was not declared a holiday in the city until 1901,<ref name="Vrabel241">], p. 241</ref> amid interest in local history that also resulted in the construction of the ] Monument. The state made it a holiday in Suffolk County in 1938.<ref name="Vrabel241"/> The large Irish population of Boston at that time played a role in the establishment of the holiday.<ref name="OConnor124">], p. 124</ref> A 1941 law establishing the holiday in Suffolk County was signed in both black and green ink.<ref name=wbur>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbur.org/2010/03/12/evacuation-day-holiday|title=With A Signature In Green, St. Patrick’s Day Became A Holiday|date=March 12, 2010|accessdate=March 15, 2010}}</ref> | ||
| ] at Boston's 2008 St. Patrick's Day parade]] | ] at Boston's 2008 St. Patrick's Day parade]] | ||
| ==Observance activities== | ==Observance activities== | ||
| Evacuation Day activities in the areas that observe the holiday are limited. Most events of note, like the annual ] and politicians' breakfast in ], are dominated by celebrations of Irish culture. The parade is officially designated the ] and Evacuation Day Parade.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} The Allied War Veterans of South Boston mark the day with a ceremony on Dorchester Heights.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/03/happy_evacuatio.html|accessdate= |
Evacuation Day activities in the areas that observe the holiday are limited. Most events of note, like the annual ] and politicians' breakfast in ], are dominated by celebrations of Irish culture. The parade is officially designated the ] and Evacuation Day Parade.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} The Allied War Veterans of South Boston mark the day with a ceremony on Dorchester Heights.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/03/happy_evacuatio.html|accessdate=March 17, 2009|title=Happy Evacuation Day!|first=Andrew|last=Ryan|publisher=Boston.com|date=March 17, 2009}}</ref> | ||
| Since 1992, the participation of gay and lesbian people in the parade has been disputed, and was the subject of the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court case ]. Mayor ] boycotted the parade every year he was in office, in protest of the exclusion of GLB marchers.<ref>http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/03/your_guide_to_the_south_boston.html</ref> | Since 1992, the participation of gay and lesbian people in the parade has been disputed, and was the subject of the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court case ]. Mayor ] boycotted the parade every year he was in office, in protest of the exclusion of GLB marchers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/03/your_guide_to_the_south_boston.html|author=Garrett Quinn|title=Why are gays excluded from marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade: A history of Boston's most important parade|work=]|date=March 7, 2014|accessdate=March 10, 2014}}</ref> | ||
| Another local holiday observing an event in the American Revolutionary War is ]. State workers outside Suffolk County are allowed to choose any two days off in lieu of celebrating Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day on the observance days. |
Another local holiday observing an event in the American Revolutionary War is ]. State workers outside Suffolk County are allowed to choose any two days off in lieu of celebrating Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day on the observance days. The two holidays are generally not observed by the general public or private businesses.<ref>http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100302public_to_chime_in_on_hack_holidays/srvc=home&position=recent {{Dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> Some government services remain in operation, such as trash pickup in the City of Boston<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/RecyclingandSanitation/holiday.asp|title=Recycling and Trash Holiday Collection Schedule</ref> and all state Registry of Motor Vehicle offices. The ] runs a normal schedule but, due to special events, prohibits bicycles on the subway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/bikes/|title=Bikes on the T|date=July 2014}}</ref> | ||
| ==Moves to eliminate holiday== | ==Moves to eliminate holiday== | ||
| In 2010, the state legislature debated eliminating Evacuation Day and ] as official holidays, citing the expense of giving state and local workers paid days off.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/bedford/news/x2102349834/Beacon-Hill-Roll-Call|accessdate= |
In 2010, the state legislature debated eliminating Evacuation Day and ] as official holidays, citing the expense of giving state and local workers paid days off.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/bedford/news/x2102349834/Beacon-Hill-Roll-Call|accessdate=March 15, 2010|title=Beacon Hill Roll Call|date=March 11, 2010|publisher=Gatehouse Media}}</ref> The state's FY2011 budget requires all state and municipal offices in Suffolk County be open on both days.<ref>{{cite web|title=Commonwealth of Massachusetts FY2011 Budget, Outside Section 5|url=http://www.mass.gov/bb/gaa/fy2011/os_11/h5.htm|date=July 14, 2010|accessdate=August 6, 2010}}</ref> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
| *{{cite book|title=South Boston, My Home Town: The History of an Ethnic Neighborhood|first=Thomas H.|last=O'Connor|publisher=UPNE|year=1994|ref=OConnor|isbn=978-1-55553-188-1}} | *{{cite book|title=South Boston, My Home Town: The History of an Ethnic Neighborhood|first=Thomas H.|last=O'Connor|publisher=UPNE|year=1994|ref=OConnor|isbn=978-1-55553-188-1}} | ||
| *{{cite book|title=When in Boston: a time line & almanac|first=Jim|last=Vrabel|publisher=UPNE|year=2004|isbn=978-1-55553-621-3|ref=Vrabel}} | *{{cite book|title=When in Boston: a time line & almanac|first=Jim|last=Vrabel|publisher=UPNE|year=2004|isbn=978-1-55553-621-3|ref=Vrabel}} | ||
| *{{cite web|url=http://www.cpsd.us/Web/PubInfo/CPS_Calendar07-08.pdf|format=PDF|title=Cambridge School Calendar 2007–2008|publisher=Cambridge Public Schools|accessdate= |
*{{cite web|url=http://www.cpsd.us/Web/PubInfo/CPS_Calendar07-08.pdf|format=]|title=Cambridge School Calendar 2007–2008|publisher=Cambridge Public Schools|accessdate=March 17, 2009|ref=CambridgeSchoolCalendar}} {{Dead link|date=March 2015}} | ||
| *{{cite web|url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm|title=Massachusetts List of Legal Holidays|publisher=Massachusetts Secretary of State|accessdate= |
*{{cite web|url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm|title=Massachusetts List of Legal Holidays|publisher=Massachusetts Secretary of State|accessdate=December 16, 2008|ref=LegalHoliday}} | ||
| *{{cite web|url=http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/education/components/docmgr/download.php?sectiondetailid=13305&fileitem=5979|format=PDF|title=Somerville School Calendar 2009|publisher=Somerville Public Schools|accessdate= |
*{{cite web|url=http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/education/components/docmgr/download.php?sectiondetailid=13305&fileitem=5979|format=PDF|title=Somerville School Calendar 2009|publisher=Somerville Public Schools|accessdate=March 17, 2009|ref=SomervilleSchoolCalendar}} | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 22:20, 15 March 2015
| Evacuation Day | |
|---|---|
 Engraving depicting the evacuation of Boston | |
| Observed by | Suffolk County, Massachusetts and some state offices located there Somerville, Massachusetts public schools |
| Celebrations | Commemoration ceremony at Dorchester Heights Saint Patrick's Day festivities |
| Date | March 17 |
| Next time | 17 March 2025 (2025-03-17) |
| Frequency | annual |
| Related to | Saint Patrick's Day |
March 17 is Evacuation Day, a holiday observed in Suffolk County (which includes the cities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop) and also by the public schools in Somerville, Massachusetts. The holiday commemorates the evacuation of British forces from the city of Boston following the Siege of Boston, early in the American Revolutionary War. Schools and government offices (including some Massachusetts state government offices located in Suffolk County) are closed. If March 17 falls on a weekend, schools and government offices are closed on the following Monday in observance. It is the same day as Saint Patrick's Day, a coincidence that played a role in the establishment of the holiday.
Historical background
Further information: Siege of BostonThe 11-month siege of Boston ended when the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, fortified Dorchester Heights in early March 1776 with cannons captured at Ticonderoga. British General William Howe, whose garrison and navy were threatened by these positions, was forced to decide between attack and retreat. To prevent what could have been a repeat of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Howe decided to retreat, withdrawing from Boston to Nova Scotia on March 17, 1776.
The British evacuation was Washington's first victory of the war. It was also a huge morale boost for the Thirteen Colonies, as the city where the rebellion began was the first to be liberated.
Establishment of the holiday
While Saint Patrick's Day parades have been held in Boston since 1876, Evacuation Day was not declared a holiday in the city until 1901, amid interest in local history that also resulted in the construction of the Dorchester Heights Monument. The state made it a holiday in Suffolk County in 1938. The large Irish population of Boston at that time played a role in the establishment of the holiday. A 1941 law establishing the holiday in Suffolk County was signed in both black and green ink.
Observance activities
Evacuation Day activities in the areas that observe the holiday are limited. Most events of note, like the annual parade and politicians' breakfast in South Boston, are dominated by celebrations of Irish culture. The parade is officially designated the Saint Patrick's Day and Evacuation Day Parade. The Allied War Veterans of South Boston mark the day with a ceremony on Dorchester Heights. Since 1992, the participation of gay and lesbian people in the parade has been disputed, and was the subject of the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court case Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston. Mayor Thomas Menino boycotted the parade every year he was in office, in protest of the exclusion of GLB marchers.
Another local holiday observing an event in the American Revolutionary War is Bunker Hill Day. State workers outside Suffolk County are allowed to choose any two days off in lieu of celebrating Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day on the observance days. The two holidays are generally not observed by the general public or private businesses. Some government services remain in operation, such as trash pickup in the City of Boston and all state Registry of Motor Vehicle offices. The MBTA runs a normal schedule but, due to special events, prohibits bicycles on the subway.
Moves to eliminate holiday
In 2010, the state legislature debated eliminating Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day as official holidays, citing the expense of giving state and local workers paid days off. The state's FY2011 budget requires all state and municipal offices in Suffolk County be open on both days.
See also
Notes
- List of Massachusetts holidays
- Somerville School Calendar
- For example, the RMV offices are all open.
- ^ "With A Signature In Green, St. Patrick's Day Became A Holiday". March 12, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
- ^ Vrabel, p. 241
- O'Connor, p. 124
- Ryan, Andrew (March 17, 2009). "Happy Evacuation Day!". Boston.com. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
- Garrett Quinn (March 7, 2014). "Why are gays excluded from marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade: A history of Boston's most important parade". The Republican. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100302public_to_chime_in_on_hack_holidays/srvc=home&position=recent
- {{cite web|url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/RecyclingandSanitation/holiday.asp%7Ctitle=Recycling and Trash Holiday Collection Schedule
- "Bikes on the T". July 2014.
- "Beacon Hill Roll Call". Gatehouse Media. March 11, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
- "Commonwealth of Massachusetts FY2011 Budget, Outside Section 5". July 14, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
References
- O'Connor, Thomas H. (1994). South Boston, My Home Town: The History of an Ethnic Neighborhood. UPNE. ISBN 978-1-55553-188-1.
- Vrabel, Jim (2004). When in Boston: a time line & almanac. UPNE. ISBN 978-1-55553-621-3.
- "Cambridge School Calendar 2007–2008" (PDF). Cambridge Public Schools. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
- "Massachusetts List of Legal Holidays". Massachusetts Secretary of State. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
- "Somerville School Calendar 2009" (PDF). Somerville Public Schools. Retrieved March 17, 2009.