Carrot Top

It is permissible to fly the American Flag any and every day of the year, but we especially recommend that all Americans fly the flag on special holidays and historically significant dates.

The flag is a symbol of U.S. freedom, the very foundation of which our country was built. This foundation is strengthened by the servicemen and women currently deployed oversees and those defending our shores, and by the thousands who have given their lives to defend the liberties we enjoy. Fly the Amercian flag on these dates:

New Year’s Day - January 1
Martin Luther King Day - 3rd Monday in January
Inauguration Day - January 20
Lincoln’s Birthday - February 12
Washington’s Birthday - 3rd Monday in February
Easter Sunday - Variable
Patriots’ Day - 3rd Monday in April
Mother’s Day - 2nd Sunday in May
Peace Officers Memorial Day - May 19 (fly at half-mast)
Armed Forces Day - 3rd Saturday in May
Memorial Day - Last Monday in May (fly at half-mast)
Flag Day - June 14
Father’s Day - 3rd Sunday in June
Independence Day – July 4
Korean War Veterans Day - July 27
Labor Day - 1st Monday in September
Patriot Day / Sept 11 - September 11 (fly at half-mast)
Constitution Day - September 17
Gold Star Mother’s Day - Last Sunday in September
Columbus Day - 2nd Monday in October
Navy Day - October 27
Election Day - 1st Tuesday in November
Veteran’s Day - November 11
Thanksgiving Day - 4th Thursday in November
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - December 7 (fly at half-mast)
Christmas Day - December 25

It has been a long standing military custom that the flag be lowered daily at the last note of retreat. When lowering the flag, special care should be taken to ensure no part of the flag touches the ground. The U.S. flag is to be handled with the utmost care and respect.

What shows respect for the flag? I attended a political campaign in 2006 where the candidate talked about how they loved God and our country and supported our military. There were flags flying everywhere. At the end of the rally, a campaign worker took all the flags and wrapped them around their polls as quickly as possible. She stacked the poles on the ground and eventually tossed them into the back of a pickup truck. Bags of garbage and extra signs were placed on top of the flags.

Now, let’s show you the proper way to fold your flag. This custom of special folding is reserved for the United States Flag alone.

To properly fold the Flag, begin by holding it waist-high with another person
so that its surface is parallel to the ground.

Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars,
holding the bottom and top edges securely.

Fold the flag again lengthwise with the blue field on the outside.

Make a triangular fold by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to meet
the open (top) edge of the flag.

Turn the outer (end) point inward, parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.

The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in
this manner.

When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field of stars should
be visible.