Display Your US Flag

June 14 is Flag Day! This year, it marks the 225th birthday of the US Flag! It may seem like just another day to you, but it’s a great chance to learn a little about US history, and to take the time to get to know a little about flags from other countries, too! Sorry, but most people don’t get out of school and work for Flag Day. In Pennsylvania though, it is an official state holiday.

On June 14, 1777, the United States Continental Congress officially declared the Stars and Stripes the US flag. Then, one hundred years later, public buildings started displaying the flag to recognize the 100th Birthday of the US Flag.

But what’s cool is that it was mostly one guy, a schoolteacher in Wisconsin, who started the idea that everybody should celebrate Flag Day. In 1885, B.J. Cigrand had the kids in his school observe Flag Day, or, as he called it, Flag Birthday. The idea caught on, and soon more teachers had their students celebrate Flag Day with special activities.

It wasn’t until 1916 that Flag Day was officially named as a holiday. And it wasn’t until 1949 that the National Flag Day bill was signed.

Flag Day also marks the middle of the Patriotic holidays. It starts with Memorial Day and ends with Independence Day. You can keep American flags and flag motif up through most of the summer with the holidays falling one after the other.
]]> http://blog.carrot-top.com/2007/06/14/flag-day-history-2/feed/ 0 Lexi the Vexillologist flagday2007