Patriot Day was established on December 18, 2001, when President George W. Bush signed into law Public Law 107-89. This joint resolution of the U.S. Congress officially designated September 11th of each year as a national day of observance to commemorate the individuals who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The legislative process for its establishment began in the months following the attacks. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the resolution (H.J.Res. 71) on October 25, 2001, with the Senate giving its approval on November 30, 2001. The law directs the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on all U.S. government entities and the American people to display the flag at half-staff and to observe a moment of silence. The first formal observance of Patriot Day took place on September 11, 2002.
The primary function of this day is to serve as a solemn remembrance. It is not a federal holiday, meaning schools and businesses typically remain open. The observance is marked by memorial services, the flying of flags at half-staff on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, and a national moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center. It is important to distinguish Patriot Day from Patriots' Day, a regional holiday in April that commemorates early battles of the American Revolution.
