Happy Flag Day, friends!
I know you’ve been anxiously awaiting this holiday, probably even more than Arbor Day back in April. (Here’s to those random holidays that are pre-populated on calendars.)
But despite the fact that Flag Day is a little-celebrated holiday (Baltimore’s Star-Spangled Sailabration and Flag Day birthplace Waubeka, Wisconsin, excluded), I think it’s worth observing in its own right. I mean, it was created to commemorate the creation of our nation’s flag, and it takes place just a couple of weeks before the 4th of July. It’s almost like a warm-up for the 4th, in fact. (Does anyone have Flag Day tradition suggestions they’d like to implement going forward? This can be the first annual observation of said traditions.)
Here’s some recommended reading to help jump start your Flag Day celebrations:
- Check out these Philadelphia seamstresses who hand embroider both U.S. presidential and vice-presidential flags. Every day is flag day for them!
- The Washington Post published some fun facts about Flag Day and about Betsy Ross (who was actually trained as an upholsterer rather than a seamstress, as it turns out).
- Need some do’s and don’ts regarding the flag? Take a moment to peruse the Flag Code implemented by the American Legion (pretty much Miss Manners for flags).
- Where did Flag Day even come from? Read about its Midwestern roots here.
- Here’s some history about the many incarnations of the American flag. (The version we currently use was created in 1960.)
