Flag Day is celebrated every year in the United States on June 14. Prior to writing this article, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you that or much else about Flag Day, to be honest. But one of the things I’ve learned since becoming a parent is that federal holidays and national observances are a great way to dive into the history of the US and teach kids about that history as well. And so I set off to learn all about Flag Day, and I can’t wait to share what I learned with you.
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Flag Day isn’t one of the more popular observances in the US, but it has a long and rich history. It serves as an opportunity to reflect on the symbolism of the flag in its current form and how it evolved throughout the years. Keep reading for the fascinating history of the US flag, how Flag Day originated, and how you can teach your kids about it with fun activities.
What is Flag Day?
Flag Day is a celebration of the anniversary of when the Continental Congress—which served as the government of the 13 American Colonies, and later the United States, from 1774 to 1789—made the resolution to adopt the “Stars and Stripes” as the official American Flag on June 14, 1777. Keep in mind that this was during the Revolutionary War, and that prior to adopting a national flag, Colonial troops were fighting for independence from Great Britain under a variety of different flags.
Why was there a need to create an American flag?
When the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the Colonies declared themselves an independent nation. Nations have flags, and so the newly declared nation needed a unifying flag.
And so the Flag Resolution of 1777 came about.
“That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation,” states the Flag Resolution of 1777.
Who designed the first flag?
Well, that’s a thing of legend more than factual history. Legend has it that George Washington reached out to Betsy Ross in June 1776 before the Declaration of Independence was signed and asked her to design a flag for the new nation.
Why 13 stars and 13 stripes?
Originally, there were 13 stars and 13 stripes on the American flag in honor of the 13 Colonies that started the nation. The stripes consist of seven red and six white in alternating order. The 13 stars were sometimes placed on the blue field in a circle, but the design of the flag did not become standardized until later.
The number of stars came to symbolize the number of states.
Whereas the stripes continue to symbolize the 13 original Colonies, the stars on the flag became symbolic of the states in the nation. As the number of states grew, so did the number of stars on the flag.
What do the colors on the flag mean?
White stands for purity and innocence; red is for valor and hardiness; and blue is for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Note that the colors of Great Britain’s flag are also red, white, and blue.
Flag Day wasn’t celebrated until long after the flag was adopted.
Even though the adoption of the American flag was commemorated unofficially throughout the nation, it wasn’t until May 30, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as National Flag Day. Then, on August 3, 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed an Act of Congress recognizing Flag Day as a holiday.
Who gets bragging rights on the origin of Flag Day?
Many claims have been made as to where the first Flag Day was ever observed, but on June 14, 2004, the US Congress voted unanimously and declared Waubeka, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, as the place where Flag Day originated.
Why isn't Flag Day a federal holiday?
On federal holidays, federal employees get the day off. Since Flag Day was not included in the 1968 Uniform Holiday Act, it’s not a designated day off for federal employees. Federal offices, post offices, and banks are not closed for the day as they are during federal holidays.
How many versions of the flag have there been?
Since 1776, there have been 27 different flags. Each new iteration of the flag included the addition of one or more stars as more states were added. The current design of the flag with 50 stars has been flying since 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state.
What can you do to celebrate Flag Day?
At the very least, you can review the history of Flag Day with your kids. It’s important that we don’t assume they already know it or will learn about it in school. I was born and raised in the US, and a lot of this information was never taught to me in school. If you want to go beyond that, check out what you can do in honor of Flag Day.
Attend a local parade and bring a flag.
Lots of organizations put on local parades. Do a quick search for “Flag Day parade near me” to see if there are any being held close to you. Bring a flag or a few to wave while you’re there.
Learn about the American flag and its flying rules.
There are rules and etiquette surrounding the American flag and how you can fly it. Review the guidelines from the US Department of Veterans Affairs for guidelines on how to display the flag. Like, did you know that when flags of states, cities, or organizations fly on the same staff, the US flag must be at the top?
Play flag trivia.
Check out a site like the Smithsonian and create a bunch of flag trivia questions for your family to answer. Winner gets whatever you decide. Here are a few questions to get you started:
•True or false: The current 50-star flag was designed by a high school student. True: It was designed by Robert G. Heft when he was a 17-year-old high school student.
•How many red stripes does the flag have? Seven.
•How many white stripes does the flag have? Six.
•How many versions of the flag have there been? 27.
