Patriot Day is the proper noun for the national observance in the United States held annually on September 11. It was established to honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 individuals who were killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. By a subsequent resolution, the day is also officially known as the National Day of Service and Remembrance, encouraging Americans to participate in charitable and volunteer activities.
The observance is marked by specific national customs. A presidential proclamation directs that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff on all U.S. government buildings, establishments, and at American homes. The nation is also called upon to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), which was the time the first of two planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City. Despite its national significance, it is an observance and not a federal holiday, so schools and businesses generally do not close.
A common point of confusion is the distinction between Patriot Day (September 11) and Patriots' Day. Patriots' Day is an entirely separate state holiday celebrated on the third Monday of April in Massachusetts and Maine. It commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. The two holidays honor different events and are observed on different dates.
