Don't forget June 14 is Flag Day!
Here's a little known secret... I am a total stickler when it comes to the correct treatment of an American Flag. I am very outspoken if Flag Etiquette is not adhered to... Yes, by anyone... Family members (better not ever happen), friends, neighbors, car lots, grocery stores, retail stores, schoolhouses... So many have laid down their lives to give us the right to fly this symbol of our country's freedom... no disrespect should ever be given this flag! But I do have to admit, until I started doing research on this post, I was unaware of many of the following rules of etiquette for our Grand Ole Flag.
Flag Etiquette according to US History.org
Flying the Flag
1.
Never
let the flag touch the ground. Never.
Ever.
It is considered very disrespectful as the flag is our
national symbol, so many have died defending it and what it stands for.
2.
Never
fly another flag higher than the US
In point of fact, the American flag should fly above all
others.
3.
Don't
just throw an old flag out!
Technically, when a flag is too worn to fly, it is
formally "retired" in a formal retirement ceremony. Each year (around
Memorial Day), local VA chapters or even local Boy Scout troops have a ceremony
to correctly "retire" the flag. Contact a local VA or Boy Scout Troop
for more information.
4.
How
to raise and lower the flag
It generally takes 2 people so that it does not
accidentally touch the ground. One clips the flag to the pole and then hoists
it up while the other person holds the flag as it unfurls. It is taken down
(generally at sunset) in the same way: One person lowers it. One person makes
sure the flag does not touch the ground. Then it is folded.
5.
How
to fold the flag
Here is a great video showing exactly How to Fold the American
Flag
6.
Official
Flag Flying Holidays – you can actually fly a flag any day
• New Year’s Day, January 1
• Inauguration Day, January 20
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, third Monday in
January
• Lincoln
• Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February
• Easter Sunday (variable)
• Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May
• Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May
• Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in
May
• Flag Day, June 14
• Father’s Day, third Sunday in June
• Independence Day, July 4
• National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27
• Labor Day, first Monday in September
• Constitution Day, September 17
• Columbus Day, second Monday in October
• Navy Day, October 27
• Veterans Day, November 11
• Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November
• Christmas Day, December 25
• "Such days as proclaimed by the
President of the United
States
• Birthdays of States (date of admission)
• State holidays
Displaying the Flag
1. When the flag is displayed over the middle of the
street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an
east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.
2. When the flag is displayed with another flag against a
wall, its crossed staffs should be on the right, the flag's own right, and its
staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.
3. When the flag is flown at half-staff, it should be
first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff
position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for
the day. By "half-staff" is meant lowering the flag to one-half the
distance between the top and bottom of the staff. Crepe streamers may be
affixed to spear heads or flagstaffs in a parade only by order of the President
of the United States
4. When flags of States, cities, or localities, or
pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States United
States United States or to the right of the flag of the
United States US
5. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope
extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should
be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
6. When the flag of the United States
7. When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be
so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag
should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.
8. When the flag is displayed in a manner other than by
being flown from a staff, it should be displayed flat, whether indoors or out.
When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union
should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's
left. When displayed in a window it should be displayed in the same way, that
is with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street. When
festoons, rosettes or drapings are desired, bunting of blue, white and red
should be used, but never the flag.
9. When the flag is carried in a procession with another
flag, or flags, it should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's
own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of
that line.
10. The flag of the United States of America
11. When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they
are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of
approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag
of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace. The order of
precedence for flags generally is National flags (US first, then others in
alphabetical order in English), State (host state first, then others in the
order of admission) and territories (Washington DC , Puerto Rico , etc.),
Military (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard), then other.
12. When displayed from a staff in a church or public
auditorium on or off a podium, the flag of the United States of America should
hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in
the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the
audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the
clergyman or speaker (to the right of the audience). Please note that the old
guidelines differed from this updated and simplified one.
13. When the flag is displayed on a car, the staff shall
be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
14. When hung in a window, place the blue union in the
upper left, as viewed from the street.
Did you know that there are
appropriate proportions for Flagpoles, Flag Sizes, and Flags?
The usual
size of a flag used at home is 3'x5'. A casket
flag is 9-1/2'x5'.
The table
below shows the appropriate size flag to fly on flagpoles of various heights.
Home
Use
|
Public
display (not home-use)
|
||||
flagpole
|
flag
|
flagpole
|
flag
|
flagpole
|
flag
|
15'
|
3'x5'
|
20'
|
4'x6'
|
50'
|
8x12'-10x15'
|
20'
|
3'x5'
|
25'
|
5'x8'
|
60'-65'
|
10'x15'-10'x19'
|
25'
|
4'x6'
|
30'-35'
|
6'x10'
|
70'-80'
|
10'x19'-12'x18'
|
40'-45'
|
6'x10-8'x12'
|
90'-100'
|
20'x38'-30'x50
|
||
Flag Proportions
According
to Executive Order10834, official flags (not personal flags) must meet these standards.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
