Flag Etiquette for Fourth of July
What Every American Child Should Know About Their Country’s Colors
You see the American flag everywhere you turn – on billboards, hanging from Interstate bridges, on fliers, t-shirts, bumper stickers and baseball caps.
But how should you properly display the U.S. flag? The Flag Code, adopted by Congress in 1942, sets specific rules on how the national flag should be displayed and treated.
As part of lessons in citizenship, teach your children proper flag etiquette with instructions on how to show respect for their nation's flag.
1. The flag should never be worn as apparel. T-shirts and other clothing with the American flag imprinted on it is in violation of the Flag Code and when worn out, should be destroyed with dignity, the same as you would a flag.
2. The flag should never be used in advertising.
3. The flag should not be used as a covering for a ceiling. Likewise, it should not be printed on a rug and laid on the ground. The flag should not be used as bedding or draperies.
4. Flags should never be hung upside down.
5. When the National Anthem is played in the presence of the flag, all present should stand facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.
6. The flag should be flown only from sunrise to sundown. If flown at night, it should be illuminated.
7. When handling a flag, you should be careful that it doesn’t touch the ground. Contrary to popular belief, if a flag does touch the ground, it does not need to be destroyed. Flags can be washed or dry cleaned.
8. When flying the U.S. flag along with a flag of another nation, they should always be flown at equal heights from different staffs. No nation’s flag should be flown above another’s in peacetime. When the U.S. flag is flown on the same staff as state or local flags, it should always be at the peak.
9. Showing proper respect for the flag includes not using it in any way that it can be disrespected. It shouldn’t be written on, soiled or damaged. It should never be dipped to any person or thing.
10. Any American can properly fly a flag whenever he chooses. Homeowners associations and condominium boards cannot prohibit the display of U.S. flags.
Some things your kids should know:
- The current 50-star flag was designed by Robert Heft, a then 15-year-old student in Lancaster, Ohio. Heft later designed a 51-star flag that is waiting in the wings.
- President Harry S Truman declared June 14 Flag Day in the United States.
- You can purchase a flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol building by sending a letter of request to your U.S. senator.
- You can tour the house where Betsy Ross lived in Philadelphia. More than 250,000 tour the house every year.
- You can make a five-pointed star just like Betsy Ross designed by folding paper and making one snip with the scissors.
- Suite 101’s Kids Crafts has lots of cool Fourth of July Crafts you can do with your children at home.
Sources: The American Legion, The Betsy Ross Home Page, USFlag.org.
