Flag Day is celebrated every June 14. As you might expect, there is an history behind the adoption of Flag Day. Read on for more about how this celebration came about in the ongoing story of Amercana.
Flag Day and Its History
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia passed a resolution which specified that the new country’s flag would have 13 stripes and 13 stars. The red represented valor, the white purity and the blue justice. An Act of Congress designating June 14 as Flag Day each year wasn’t passed until 1949. What transpired between these two dates?
In 1877, 100 years after the flag was adopted, Congress asked all public buildings to fly the flag on June 14 to commemorate that anniversary. They did, but it was a one-time thing, not something to be observed annually.
A Wisconsin schoolteacher, B.J. Cigrand, had his students celebrate June 14, 1885 as Flag Birthday. Four years later, a New York City kindergarten teacher, George Balch, planned a celebration of the flag with his students on June 14.
July 14, 1891 saw a Flag Day celebration at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia and the next year, the Sons of the Revolution of New York celebrated Flag Day.
In April, 1893, the Colonial Dames of America adopted a resolution asking the mayor of Philadelphia and all its citizens to diplay the flag on Flag Day, June 14. The Superintendant of Public Schools in Philadelphia proclaimed that June 14 would be known as Flag Day and that all school children in the city would assemble for exercises. Each child received a small flag.
The governor of New York directed in 1894 that each year on June 14 all public buildings would display the American flag.
In 1916, a proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson established June 14 as a day to celebrate the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1877. Finally, on August 3, 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress directing that National Flag Day would be observed every year on June 14.
Since that time, flags have been flown on June 14 at public buildings and homes throughout the nation.
Pat McCarthy is an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature and the author of over a dozen books for children. Learn more about her books at her blog, http://www.PatMcCarthysAuthorBlog.blogspot.com
If you have a question about writing for children, e-mail Pat at patmcbirder@woh.rr.com More resources for children’s writers will soon be up on the blog.
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June 26 2008 | American Flags | No Comments »
You might associate flags with national pride, but that’s not all they’re for. Lots of people are also deciding to display flags for important occasions and holidays. You can choose from a wide variety of holiday flags, including Easter, Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Thanksgiving, not to mention lots of others. Here are a few of your options when it comes to choosing from popular holiday flag designs.
New Years: New Year’s flags are getting more popular, and tend to be mostly party oriented. Some can be reused year after year, but others have the date printed or sewn on them. You may also see patriotic New Year’s flags, featuring the Stars and Stripes in various arrangements. You can order custom flags and choose from many sizes and colors. For other cultures that don’t celebrate the traditional January 1st New Year, there are still New Year’s flags. Chinese New Year flags and ones for other cultures are also available.
Valentine’s Day: In February, you’ll be able to fly sweet Valentine’s Day designs. Once thought to be the first day of the mating season for birds, Valentine’s Day has associations with love and romance, and so do its flags. Choose from classic hearts, arrows, Cupids, balloons and roses. If you’re not feeling in the Valentine’s Day spirit, think about a broken heart flag. These flags are flown just about everywhere, from parties and restaurants to at home.
St. Patrick’s Day: Fly the green on St. Patrick’s day. Choose from lots of different flags that people associate with Ireland, from its national flag to shamrocks, rainbows, leprechauns and pots of gold. You’ll see these in parades, in people’s houses, and in bars and pubs serving green beer.
Easter: Another popular choice are Easter flags, whether they’re secular or religious. You’ll see rabbits and chicks, Easter eggs, lilies, spring items and other symbols on flags. These are fun flags to display at kids’ parties, or just because you’re happy to see Spring. For those who prefer a strong religious statement, crosses and other more traditional Easter symbols are also available for display. They’ll remind passers by that Easter isn’t just about chocolate.
Fourth of July: For the Fourth of July, the American flag is an old standby, but that’s not the only one that people fly. There are historical American flags, flags with fireworks, and others with other patriotic designs. Fly them proudly to celebrate Independence Day.
Thanksgiving: There are more Thanksgiving flags out these days, too. You’ll see them indoors and on people’s homes, with designs like the Mayflower and first settlers, fall leaves, cornucopias, turkeys, scarecrows and more. These flags fly during parades, or just during a good family meal.
Christmas: Christmas is a season for flags, too. Like Easter, it’s developed its own secular symbols, in addition to the religious ones. That means you’ll see crosses and nativity flags, as well as holly and ivy. You may see Christmas tree flags, candy cane flags, Santa and his reindeer, snowmen, Christmas lights, and lots more.
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June 24 2008 | flags | No Comments »