Patriot Day is not a new holiday in the sense of a recent establishment, but rather an annual observance officially designated in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Its creation was a direct response to those events, making it a relatively modern addition to the calendar of national observances.
The official designation occurred on December 18, 2001, when President George W. Bush signed into law U.S. House Joint Resolution 71, which codified Public Law 107-89. This law declared September 11th of each year as "Patriot Day." The purpose of this observance is to serve as a day of remembrance for the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It mandates the display of the American flag at half-staff and a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center). It is important to distinguish Patriot Day from a "federal holiday," as it is not a day on which government offices close or most employees receive a paid day off, but rather a day of national remembrance.
Therefore, while its establishment is post-2001, making it newer than many long-standing holidays, it has been an established national observance for over two decades. Its principal function is to ensure that the memory of the 9/11 attacks and their victims remains a solemn part of the nation's collective consciousness.
