Patriot Day is observed annually on September 11. The date was chosen to commemorate the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001.
This observance was officially created by U.S. Public Law 107-89, which was signed on December 18, 2001. Its formal title is "Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance." It is a day of national observance, not a federal holiday, meaning businesses and government offices do not typically close. This day is distinct from Patriots' Day, a regional public holiday observed in April in Massachusetts and Maine, which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.
On Patriot Day, the President directs that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, both domestically and abroad. A nationwide moment of silence is also called for, traditionally at 8:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time, which marks the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Americans are further encouraged to engage in community service and remembrance ceremonies as a tribute to the victims and first responders of the attacks.
