Patriot Day is an annual observance in the United States on September 11. It commemorates the victims of the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
By a joint resolution approved by the U.S. Congress on December 18, 2001, this date was officially designated as a national day of remembrance. The President of the United States is requested to issue a yearly proclamation calling on all U.S. citizens to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. A key observance is 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. The U.S. flag is also flown at half-staff on this day.
It is important to distinguish this federal observance from Patriots' Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin held on the third Monday of April, which commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Patriot Day on September 11 is solely dedicated to solemn remembrance of the 2001 attacks and is also known as the National Day of Service and Remembrance.
