September 11 is formally designated as Patriot Day by U.S. law to honor the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on that date in 2001. The name was chosen to commemorate the victims, first responders, and volunteers whose actions on and after that day were characterized by courage, sacrifice, and civic duty, embodying the principles of patriotism.
Following the attacks, President George W. Bush issued Proclamation 7461 on December 18, 2001, which designated September 11 of each year as Patriot Day. This was later codified into law when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution (Public Law 107-89) on October 25, 2001. The law calls upon the President to issue an annual proclamation and directs that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff on all government buildings. It also requests that Americans observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. It is important to distinguish this observance from Patriots' Day, a state-level holiday in April that commemorates early Revolutionary War battles.
The designation serves as a formal act of national remembrance. By titling the day "Patriot Day," the focus is placed not only on the tragedy of the event but also on the heroic response and the national unity that followed. It reframes the memory of the day around the selfless actions of firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel, and ordinary citizens, thereby defining their sacrifice and the resilience of the nation as a profound expression of patriotism.
