Grammatically, the keyword term functions as a noun phrase. The head noun, "meaning," is modified and specified by the prepositional phrase "of patriot day." Within that phrase, "Patriot Day" is a proper nounthe specific name of an official observance. This linguistic structure frames the query as a request for the definition, significance, and conceptual framework of that particular named entity.
Patriot Day is an annual observance in the United States on September 11 to commemorate the individuals who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The day specifically memorializes the victims at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It was designated by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002. This observance should not be confused with Patriots' Day, which is a regional holiday in New England commemorating early battles of the American Revolution.
The practical application and interpretation of the day are rooted in national remembrance and solemn reflection. By law, the President of the United States requests that the American flag be flown at half-staff on all government buildings and establishments. Americans are also asked to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), the time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The day serves to honor the victims, their families, and the first responders, functioning as a day for mourning and reflecting on the event's impact.
