Patriot Day falls on September 11 each year
, in remembrance of the 2,977 people killed in the terrorist attacks of 2001. The American flag flies at
half-staff from sunrise to sunset
— and unlike most half-staff observances, this one requires no presidential proclamation. It is written into federal law at 36 U.S.C. §144, so it recurs automatically every year.
How to fly it correctly:
raise the flag briskly to the peak of the pole first, pause, then lower it slowly to half-staff. At sunset, raise it briskly back to the peak before lowering it to retire it for the day.
If your flag can’t be lowered
— and most house-bracket and outrigger mounts can’t be, since there is nowhere for the flag to travel — the recognized alternative is a
black mourning ribbon
tied at the top of the staff, just below the finial. Buy one once and it serves every half-staff observance: Patriot Day, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Peace Officers Memorial Day, Memorial Day morning, and any presidential proclamation.
Below are the flags and accessories for observing Patriot Day properly — American flags, first-responder flags honoring the 343 firefighters and 68 law enforcement and EMS personnel who died in the response, and the mourning ribbon. Every flag is made in the USA.
For the full observance guide, see
Patriot Day: date, flag etiquette and half-staff rules
, or our year-round
flag flying holidays and half-staff schedule
.
