The designation of Patriot Day was signed into law on December 18, 2001, by President George W. Bush. The U.S. Congress passed House Joint Resolution 71, which requested the President to proclaim September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day" in commemoration of the individuals who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
It is important to distinguish this observance from a federal holiday. Patriot Day is a national day of remembrance, not a public holiday where non-essential government offices and businesses close. The proclamation directs that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff at all homes, on the White House, and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, both at home and abroad. It also calls for a moment of silence to begin at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. On April 21, 2009, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act was signed into law, which further designated September 11 as a "National Day of Service and Remembrance," encouraging volunteerism and charitable service as a tribute.
Therefore, while it became an official, presidentially proclaimed day of observance in late 2001, its character is one of solemn reflection and service rather than a celebratory holiday. The day's formal establishment provides a unified, national framework for remembering the victims, honoring the first responders and heroes, and encouraging acts of service that reaffirm the nation's values in response to the tragedy.
