Patriot Day is the official name for the annual observance held in the United States on September 11 to commemorate the victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. While the term "9/11" refers to the date and the events of that day, Patriot Day is the formal, designated title for this national day of remembrance. Therefore, they refer to the same commemorative occasion.
The designation was established by U.S. Public Law 107-89, which was signed on December 18, 2001. This law officially designates September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day." Federal law directs that the American flag be flown at half-staff on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, both at home and abroad. The statute also calls for a moment of silence to be observed at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
In common usage, "9/11" serves as a shorthand to identify the historical event itself, whereas "Patriot Day" is the official name of the observance. In 2009, the day was also designated as the "National Day of Service and Remembrance," encouraging volunteerism and charitable service as a tribute to the victims, survivors, and first responders. Both terms are intrinsically linked and honor the memory of the same events, with one being a common colloquialism and the other being a formal, legal designation.
