American Flags
Hello e-friends.
Don’t you just love this run up to Memorial Day? Longer days, vacation plans (Disney!), exorbitantly expensive gas prices. In all of this frenzied preparation for summer fun, just don’t forget that Monday, May 26 is more than a 3-day weekend and the kickoff to summer travel season – it has meaning (see my blog on Memorial Day if you need a little reminding – we all do sometimes).
So, all of this summer fun talk overshadowing Memorial Day reminds me of another patriotic day – actually a whole week- Flag Day.
Although Flag Day is celebrated on June 14, that entire week is designated as “National Flag Week”. I think this is a super-fabuloso idea, to designate an entire week to Old Glory, our greatest national symbol. She deserves that kind of reverence.
Ok, LOL, “Lexi, will you please get off your soap box?” (as my dad would say). Yes dad….where was I? Ah, yes. Flag Day commemorates (You guessed it!) the adoption of the U.S. flag by the Second Continental Congress. Wanna make it a daily double? LOL. When did that happen? Wow, June 14, 1777! But it wasn’t until 1916 that President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day. Let me just interject something here (sorry dad!). It really seems like we didn’t start “gelling” as a country until shortly after the turn of the 20th century. That’s when a lot of legislation was passed establishing America’s patriotic symbols & celebrations. I think I’ll have to do a thesis on that some day. Well, I will have a shot soon since my ambition is to become a Vexillologist. And I’ll be the best-dressed patriotic geek in the room, ‘fo ‘sho.
Anyway, (wow – sorry – think I need to take some Ginko today) there is a little more fun trivia about Flag Day I’d like to share with you.
- Pennsylvania is the only state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday. Why? Because it’s not an official federal holiday.
- Troy, New York claims to have the largest Flag Day parade (see you there – I’ll be the girl handing out miniature flags in the cutest Jimmy Choo’s you’ve ever seen).
- According to Wikipedia, there are a lot of competing claims about flag day: “Perhaps the most fervent claim dates to 1885, when a schoolteacher, Bernard J. Cigrand, reportedly urged the students at the public school in Waubeka, Wisconsin to observe June 14 as “Flag Birthday.” He moved to Chicago to attend dental school, and in June 1886 wrote an article titled “The Fourteenth of June” which was published in the Chicago Argus newspaper. He continued to promote the idea, and by June 1811, 300,000 children gathered in parks throughout Chicago to celebrate the day.” – Thanks Wiki – I just love you!
K folks – I have to run. KC is picking me up to check out a BOGO sale at Macy’s!
Until next time,
Lexi (and please don’t forget to fly your flag half-staff until noon on Memorial Day!)
