Popularly known to be fulfilling the criteria of a superpower country, America makes a vast country. Famous for hot dogs, scenic beauty, historical buildings, famous brands and much more, everyone desires to visit America at least once in their life. It’s not just a journey or a trip, but it’s a wholesome experience. American flag is also not an exception from the fame that it receives.
The flag of America holds immense importance within the lives of the citizens owing to the American culture. Therefore, it’s not just a piece of fabric. It holds symbolism to the Americans. The flag has three colors precisely, these include, white, blue and red. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of USA, while the 13 stripes represent the 13 British colonies which got free from UK and became first states of USA. Some nicknames are given to the flag too. These include, Old Glory and Stars and Stripes.
History of the American Flag
The history of the American flag is dense and rich. It is filled with bloodshed, patriotism, literature as well as symbolism. Long story short, it was in 1777 when the Continental Congress passed an act which established an official flag for the nation. The resolution stated the colors clearly too. Finally, it was in 1949 when the President Harry S. Truman declared 14th June as the Official Flag Day for America.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the fun facts about the flag.
Fun Facts About the American Flag For Kids
- The colors of the flag have their own specific meaning. Where red symbolizes hardiness, white symbolizes purity. Blue represents justice and perseverance.
- The design of the flag was actually designed by a high school student. A 17 year old boy, Robert, submitted the design in a contest. Out of the 1500 submissions, Robert’s design was selected by the president Dwight Eisenhower.
- Damaged flags must be recycled in a dignified manner. They’re usually burnt on Memorial Day or Fourth of July.
- Around five American flags have made it to the moon, besides Neil Armstrong’s first attempt.
- There have been around 27 versions of the flag. In 1960, the final star for Hawaii was added.
- The flag has more stars than stripes.
- The flag can be displayed for 24, hours, but there should be proper lighting at night to make sure it stays illuminated.
- According to Federal flag laws, the flag should be viewed while placing your hand on your heart and eyes on the flag.
- The only state that observes flag day as a state holiday is Pennsylvania.
- The regular timings allowed for flying the flag is from sunrise to sunset.
- The American flag should never be flown during bad weather.
- The flag code strictly prohibits any drawing or marking on the flag.
- The current flag is the only one which has lasted for more than 50 years.
- The flag represents freedom of the United States.
- The flag of US should always fly above any other flag.
- 94% of the American flags are manufactured in United States.
- The proportion of the flag is 10:19.
- The Flag Day became official by President Woodrow Wilson.
Special Occasions On Which The Flag Is Flown
Though the flag is flown everyday, there are some events on which it is flown particularly. These include:
- New year’s day
- Easter Day
- Constitution Day
- Columbus Day
- Inauguration Day
- Lincoln’s Birthday
- Labor Day
- Christmas Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Flag Day
- Memorial Day
- Navy Day
- President’s Day
What Happened After the 9/11 Incident?
The 9/11 incident instilled a sense of patriotism within the American citizens and the manufacturing of the American flags went up all time high. According to the statistics, they were produced in masses rather than being stitched individually so they are readily available in the market now.
Concluding Note:
American flag holds power on its own as it has a personality. It’s one of the most recognizable flags in the world. With dense history of battlefields to patriotic songs, the flag has evolved to a great extent over time. The flag protocols are strictly followed and violation of any results in serious consequences. For Americans, the flag should be treated with dignity and almost respect. It should not even touch the ground or be flown at night without a light as mentioned above.