Patriot Day is a United States national observance that occurs annually on September 11th. The core subject, a proper noun, is defined by this specific date. It was established to commemorate the 2,977 people who were killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This day is officially designated as the National Day of Service and Remembrance.
The observance was established by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 18, 2001. On this day, the American flag is to be flown at half-staff on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, both at home and abroad. Americans are also encouraged to display the flag at their homes. A nationwide moment of silence is traditionally observed at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, corresponding to 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 regional public holiday celebrated on the third Monday of April in Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin. While both terms are nouns referring to commemorative days, Patriots' Day marks the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the start of the American Revolutionary War. Patriot Day on September 11th, in contrast, serves as a solemn day for national reflection, honoring the victims of the 2001 attacks and the first responders who acted with heroism.
