Everything about Flag Day In The United States totally explained
Flag of the United States]]
In the
United States,
Flag Day is celebrated on
June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the
flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the
Second Continental Congress in
1777.
In
1916,
President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established
June 14 as Flag Day; in August
1949, National Flag Day was established by an
Act of Congress.
Flag Day isn't an official
federal holiday, though on
June 14 1937,
Pennsylvania became the first (and only)
U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a
state holiday.
is the official statute on Flag Day, however it's at the President's discretion to proclaim officially the observance.
The largest Flag Day parade is held annually in
Troy, New York.
(External Link
)
Framingham, Massachusetts also holds a yearly Flag Day parade, as do many other towns and cities, although in recent years a shrinking turnout has prompted the town to consider eliminating the event.
The "Flag Day" movement
Several men and/or organizations played instrumental roles in the establishment of a national Flag Day celebration. They are identified here in chronological order.
1861, George Morris
The earliest reference to the suggestion of a "Flag Day" is cited in
Kansas: a Cyclopedia of State History, published by Standard Publishing Company of
Chicago in
1912. It credits George Morris of
Hartford, Connecticut:
» :To George Morris of Hartford, Conn., is popularly given the credit of suggesting "Flag Day," the occasion being in honor of the adoption of the American flag on June 14, 1777. The city of Hartford observed the day in 1861, carrying out a program of a patriotic order, praying for the success of the Federal arms and the preservation of the Union.
The observance apparently didn't become a tradition.
1885, Bernard J. Cigrand
Working as a grade school teacher in
Waubeka, Wisconsin, in
1885, Cigrand held the first recognized formal observance of Flag Day at Stony Hill School in Waubeka. The school has been restored, and a bust of Cigrand also honors him at the National Flag Day Americanism Center in Waubeka.
From the late 1880s on, Cigrand spoke around the country promoting patriotism, respect for the flag, and the need for the annual observance of a flag day on June 14, the day in
1777 that the
Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes.
He moved to
Chicago to attend dental school and, in June
1886, first publicly proposed an annual observance of the birth of the United States flag in an article titled "The Fourteenth of June," published in the
Chicago Argus newspaper. In June 1888, Cigrand advocated establishing the holiday in a speech before the "Sons of America," a Chicago group. The organization founded a magazine,
American Standard, in order to promote reverence for American emblems. Cigrand was appointed editor-in-chief and wrote articles in the magazine as well as in other magazines and newspapers to promote the holiday.
On the third Saturday in June
1894, a public school children’s celebration of Flag Day took place in Chicago at Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks. More than 300,000 children participated, and the celebration was repeated the next year.
Cigrand became president of the American Flag Day Association and later of the National Flag Day Society, which allowed him to promote his cause with organizational backing. Cigrand once noted he'd given 2,188 speeches on patriotism and the flag.
Cigrand lived in
Batavia, Illinois, from 1913–1932.
Cigrand generally is credited with being the "Father of
Flag Day," with the
Chicago Tribune noting that he "almost singlehandedly" established the holiday.
1888, William T. Kerr
William T. Kerr, a resident of
Collier Township, Pennsylvania, for a number of years, founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania in 1888, and became that organization's national chairman one year later, serving as such for fifty years. He attended President
Harry S. Truman's 1949 signing of the Act of Congress that formally established the observance.
1907, B.P.O.E.
On June 14,
1907, the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks held a Flag Day observance.
How to observe Flag Day
The week of June 14 is designated as "National Flag Week." During National Flag Week, the president will issue a proclamation urging U.S. citizens to fly the American flag for the duration of that week. The flag should also be displayed on all Government buildings. Some organizations hold parades and events in celebration of America's national flag and everything it represents.
The
National Flag Day Foundation holds an annual observance for Flag Day on the second Sunday in June. The program includes a ceremonial raising of the flag, recitation of the
Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem (
The Star-spangled Banner), a parade and more.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Flag Day In The United States'.
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