Upcoming Evacuation Day in Massachusetts Is a Day Off For Some

It's almost time to celebrate Evacuation Day. No, there is no Evacuation Day tree. Nor is there an Evacuation Day bunny.

However, it is a holiday for some folks in Massachusetts, and some even get the day off from work and school.

What exactly is Evacuation Day, and who celebrates it?

Evacuation Day is celebrated only in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, which includes the cities of Boston, Chelsea, and Revere and the Town of Winthrop. Schools and government offices in those communities are closed on Evacuation Day, as are schools in Somerville.

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If Evacuation Day falls on a weekend, schools and government offices are closed the following Monday.

Evacuation Day commemorates the hasty withdrawal of British troops from Boston in March 1776, following an 11-month siege of the city at the start of the American Revolutionary War.

General George Washington, with a bit of trickery and a rather large cannon hauled through the snow from Ticonderoga, New York, convinced the Red Coats to skedaddle, relinquishing control of the city.

It was one of only a handful of victories Washington and the Continental Army would celebrate early in the war.

Evacuation Day wasn't declared a holiday in Boston until 1901. The Commonwealth made it a holiday in Suffolk County in 1938.

So when is Evacuation Day? It is March 17 – St. Patrick's Day.

Evacuation Day is commemorated with ceremonies at Dorchester Heights. Boston's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is also held on March 17, which draws large crowds to the capital city. The parade is in South Boston.