Celebrating Flag Day

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Break out the red, white and blue! Today, June 14th, is Flag Day!

This is a special day for all Americans to show our respect for our flag and to commemorate the adoption of our national flag by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson officially recognized June 14th as Flag Day through a proclamation. In 1949, June 14th became a national holiday through an Act of Congress. Although Flag Day is not a federal holiday, the President of the United States has the right to proclaim the observance of Flag Week (the week preceding June 14th) through Executive Order.

Flag Day Fun Facts
– The Flag Act of 1818 states that a star be added on July 4th of the year following the admission of a new state.

– Students first said the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892, the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.

– There is a great debate on who really designed the first flag. While no one really knows for certain, the two names brandied about are Francis Hopkinson, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and Betsy Ross, a seamstress from Philadelphia. Most likely, your child will have heard of Betsy Ross.

– Our national anthem is the Star Spangled Banner taken from the original poem, Defense of Fort McHenry, by amateur poet, Francis Scott Key.

Flag Day Traditions
– Show your pride. Have your child help you to proudly hang a flag in your home, in your schoolroom, or at your front door. If you do not have a flag pole or bracket to hang your flag, display smaller flags around your home or make a centerpiece at your table to show your pride.
– Pledge your allegiance.

The Pledge of Allegiance

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

– Show your respect. Be sure to follow The Flag Code when handling, displaying, and replacing your flag. This is a very important lesson for all children to learn at a young age.

Flag Day Activities
In addition to the Flag Day traditions mentioned above, there are many fun Flag Day activities that your child will enjoy. Some of the activities we enjoyed were:
– Reading poetry. Try this link to the Betsy Ross website for wonderful poems. Many of these are good poems for July 4th as well. You’ll be a few weeks ahead of the game with these. 🙂
– Order a flag flown over the US Capitol. What a wonderful way to celebrate the day! Order a flag that has been flown over our own US Capitol. You simply write a letter to your US Senator requesting a flag. You can even request a flag that has been flown or will be flown on a certain day. (Birthday, Anniversary, Wedding, etc.) Each Senator’s website will provide information on the cost of the flag and the approximate time frame to receive yours. More information can be obtained here.
– Write an essay, story, poem. For young writers, or to encourage writing, have your child write an essay, story or poem about our flag, our country, or anything that comes to your mind regarding this special day. You will have wanted to teach them about the importance of this day prior to asking them to write to make sure you get all of the educational benefit from the day.
– Create some art. Be sure to let your child create a work of art for the day. Whether coloring, drawing, painting, building with Legos, or making their own rendition of our flag, let them imagine it and create it. These make the best keepsakes!
Our family is definitely celebrating this wonderful day. We look for our US Capitol flag to arrive in the next five weeks. We’ll surely hang it with pride when it arrives.
What are some activities that your family does to celebrate Flag Day?