American Flag Etiquette for Memorial Day
On May 30th, millions of Americans will observe Memorial Day – a patriotic holiday to honor all who have served and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces. Americans will proudly wear and display red, white and blue colors in memory of the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom, and Old Glory will be beautifully displayed up and down the streets of our neighborhoods.
Following are some general guidelines to keep in mind when flying an American flag:
- Fly the flag at half-staff from sunrise until noon and then raise it to full staff until sunset. If your flag is mounted on a pole and hung at a 45 degree angle on your home or business, you can show your gratitude by attaching a black ribbon to the top.
- The flag should be lighted at all times, either by daylight or artificial lighting.
- Be sure to fly your flag in fair weather unless it has been designated an “all weather flag”.
- Never wrap yourself in an American flag and wear as clothing. This would be disrespectful.
- The only time it would be appropriate to fly the stars and stripes upside down would be as a distress signal.
- When your flag is lowered, it should never touch the ground.
- When storing your flag, it should be clean, mended and folded neatly.
- When your flag is tattered, worn out and no longer fit for flying, it should be burned in a dignified manner.
Other flag holidays: June 14th – American Flag Day and July 4th – Independence Day.
Just to clarify one small point, when the flag is flown in artificial light, it must be a dedicated light for the flag itself.
XOXO
Thanks for the point, Princess CAT.
All my best,
Patricia