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In this patriotic lull between Memorial Day and July the Fourth, let’s not forget Flag Day.

Flag Day is celebrated yearly on June 14, and celebrates the creation of Old Glory and all that it stands for. It commemorates the day the Stars and Stripes were officially adopted as the U.S. flag in 1777. 

Our flag represents fairness to all of its citizens. It represents opportunities for all of its citizens. One of the most important symbols of any country is its flag. The American flag is a symbol of our freedom, liberty, prosperity, perseverance and patriotism.

There have been 27 flags flown over the U.S. The U.S. adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag June 14, 1777, by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Declaration of Independence made this resolution necessary. The design of the flag has been modified officially 26 times since 1777. The 50-star flag was ordered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Aug. 21, 1959 and was adopted July 4, 1960. It is the longest-used version of the U.S. flag.

If you will notice every country has to represent them and each color and symbol has significance. For the United States flag, red represents bravery and courage, white represents innocence and purity and blue stands for vigilance, perseverance and justice. There are 50 stars representing the 50 states and 13 stripes representing the 13 original colonies.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that established June 14 as Flag Day. While this holiday seems to pass by annually, with very little fanfare, there are those who the day resonates with everything that they hold dear.

Displaying the U.S. Flag is one of the best ways to express and promote patriotism, however there are rules for flying the flag known as the United States Flag Code.

Here are are five basic ways Americans can follow those rules and show respect to the U.S. flag:

1. Don’t let the flag touch the ground. Individuals should make sure they carry the flag high enough that it does not touch or drag the ground out of respect.
2. Always fly the American flag higher than all other flags. If you are displaying other flags with the U.S. flag, the U.S. flag is to be the highest displayed.
3. Don’t fly the U.S. flag at night without proper lighting to illuminate it. If you don’t have proper lighting for your flag to be flown at night, you are asked to take it down and store it properly inside at the end of the day. And flags should not be displayed during inclement weather unless it is an all-weather flag.
4. Don’t fly the flag upside down. Flying the U.S. flag upside down is a symbol of extreme distress and should only be done in situations of life or death.
5. Retire flags that are torn and/or tattered. When the flag is no longer fit to serve as an American symbol because it is worn, it is to be burned in a dignified manner.

Pledge of Allegiance

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America; and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”