U.S. Flag Day: Flag-etiquette
When thinking about what to get my husband for Father's Day, I decided to go big, 20 ft. in the air big with something he's always wanted: a flag pole proudly displaying our beautiful U.S. flag. I went to the awesome folks over at Flag Store of Idaho, and was so glad I did, not only are they locally owned, but the owner actually dropped off my order to my home for FREE! Talk about customer service.
When thinking about what to buy, I obviously had to get the essentials (pole and flag), these came in the kit so I was set there. But, one very important thing was a source of light for when the flag is displayed once the sun goes down. This is an absolute must. It got me thinking, "what are other rules that should be followed when displaying the flag?" With tomorrow being Flag Day, I thought it would be a great time to do a little research for you.
FLAG DISPLAY RULES: USA.gov has an awesome infographic that gives you all the basic flag-displaying rules, check it out below before you display your flag tomorrow.
HALF STAFF RULES: There are days throughout the year when the flag must be flown at half staff (half-mast). Below is a list of those days, however, keep in mind that the President of the U.S. and your state Senator can order the flags to be lowered when the state or country is in a state of mourning. You can sign up to get an email notification for when the flag must be flown at half-staff HERE.
- Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15th (sunrise until sunset)
- Memorial Day, last Monday in May (sunrise until NOON)
- Patriot Day, September 11 (sunrise until sunset)
- Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (sunrise until sunset)
- National Firefighters Memorial Day (sunrise until sunset)
- Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7th (sunrise to sunset)
FLAG FOLDING: If your flag will not be displayed, it must be folded properly and stored in a well-ventilated area. Be sure to not let the flag touch the ground or anything beneath it.