Your Guide to Flag Day 2012

Happy birthday, American flag!

Just what is the story behind Flag Day, anyway? To help you celebrate your stars and stripes, Patch offers these Flag Day facts.

Timeline of Flag Day

June 14, 1777 – Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the U.S.

June 14, 1885 – Bernard J. Cigrand, a Wisconsin teacher, placed a 10-inch, 38-star flag in a bottle on his desk and assigned essays on the flag and its significance.

June 14, 1891 – The Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia hosts a Flag Day celebration.

May 30, 1916 – President Woodrow Wilson issues a proclamation calling for a nationwide observance of Flag Day.

Aug. 3, 1949 – President Harry Truman signs an Act Of Congress designating the 14th day of June every year as National Flag Day. 

June 14, 2004 – The 108th U.S. Congress votes unanimously on H.R. 662 that Flag Day originated in Ozaukee County, WI.

Timeline facts courtesy of NationalFlagDay.com and USFlag.org.

Red, White and Blue meaning

• The stripes represent the 13 original colonies.
• The 50 stars represent the number of states.
• The colors of the flag have meaning as well: red symbolizes hardiness and valor; white symbolizes purity and innocence; blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.

Courtesy of PBS America Responds

Proper display

• The flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset. If the flag is displayed at night, it should be illuminated.
• Never allow the flag to touch the ground or the floor.
• When displayed on a wall or window the union (stars) should be in the upper left corner.
• The flag should be raised quickly and lowered ceremoniously.
• The flag is often flown at half-staff to show respect for someone who has died. When flown at half-staff, the flag should be raised to the top for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should also be raised to the top before it is lowered at the end of the day.

Courtesy of PBS America Responds.

Retiring a Flag

If your flag is worn and ready to be retired, you can contact your local VFW Chapter and ask them for help properly disposing of your flag. Your local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops also can provide this service.

Courtesy of History.org