The term "Patriot Day" is a proper noun, which functions as the subject of the inquiry. As a specific and officially named observance in the United States, it commemorates the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. This day is observed annually on a fixed date.
In 2025, Patriot Day will be observed on Thursday, September 11. The date is established by law (36 U.S. Code 144) as September 11 of each year. It is important to distinguish this observance from Patriots' Day, a regional public holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, which is celebrated on the third Monday of April and commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
On this National Day of Service and Remembrance, the President of the United States directs that the American flag be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings and establishments. A moment of silence is also traditionally observed at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
