Red Letter Days

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day/Evacuation Day. On March 26, 1776, a British fleet of 125 transports and warships left Boston Harbor bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Aboard were General William Howe, some 9,000 officers and men, and more than 1,000 Loyalists and their families. For nine months, the British had been unable to venture beyond the city of Boston, which was surrounded by colonial troops. The Continental Army had recently taken Dorchester Heights overlooking the harbor, which they fortified with cannons and mortars captured at Fort Ticonderoga, New York. However, in return for a promise by General Howe that Boston would not be burned, the British fleet left the harbor unmolested. The anniversary of this date is conveniently celebrated by the largely Irish-American residents of Boston and Suffolk County on March 17, St. Patrick's Day. If you're more inclined toward the legend, lore, and festivities of the Irish this day, check out this St. Patrick's Day site, where you'll find everything from parades to recipes.

The term "red-letter day" originates with the tradition of marking holy days in a church calendar in red. We use the term here to designate days of special significance in each month -- holidays, astronomical happenings, anniversaries of historic events, and days with memorable folklore attached. Information is drawn from the library of The Old Farmer's Almanac.