Patriot Day

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For the anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolution, see Patriot's Day.
For the Québec holiday, see La Journée Nationale des Patriotes (National Patriots Day).

Image:Patriot Day.jpg In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year, designated in memory of those who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, the name does not seem to have caught on in the American vernacular; most people still refer to the day as "September 11" or some variation thereof.

U.S. House Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 407-0 on October 25, 2001. It 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). It is not an official public holiday, but rather a discretionary day of remembrance.

On September 4, 2002, President Bush used his authority created by the resolution and proclaimed September 11, 2002 as Patriot Day. He has continued to make similar declarations every year since.

On this day, the President directs that the flag of the United States be flown at half-mast and displayed from individual American homes, at the White House, and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, home and abroad. The President also asks Americans to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 A.M. (Eastern Daylight Time) marking the first plane crash on September 11.

Some countries have also shared Patriot Day with the U.S. as well. For example, in Canada, the prime minister orders flags on the Peace Tower (in Ottawa on Parliament Hill) and on all Canadian diplomatic missions in the U.S be flown at half-staff.

Some greeting card companies have released Patriot Day cards, causing controversy among some. However, many companies, such as Hallmark, do not offer cards specifically for Patriot Day.

This holiday should not be confused with Patriot's Day, a holiday celebrated primarily in Massachusetts that commemorates the Battle of Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War. Wisconsin also celebrates Patriots' Day by closing its public schools.

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