Patriot Day was established as an annual national day of observance in 2001. The designation was made in the months immediately following the September 11th terrorist attacks.
The process began on October 25, 2001, when the U.S. House of Representatives passed Joint Resolution 71 by a vote of 407-0. This resolution requested that the President designate September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day." President George W. Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001, as Public Law 107-89. The first observance under this official designation took place on September 11, 2002.
It is important to distinguish its status from that of other national commemorations. Patriot Day is a national day of observance, not a federal holiday. As such, government offices, schools, and businesses are not required to close. The day is observed with the U.S. flag flown at half-staff at all government buildings and establishments, and Americans are asked to observe a moment of silence to correspond with the times of the attacks, beginning at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
