Jun 14, 2014
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The History of Flag Day
Well, today is Flag Day. It may seem like an obscure holiday, but Flag Day celebrates ideals held dearly by all Americans–ideals like freedom, justice, equality and tolerance. The holiday itself celebrates the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777 during the revolutionary war. At that same time the continental congress gave approval to organize the continental army, thus the army celebrates June 14 as its birthday as well.
June 14 officially became Flag Day in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation declaring it a holiday. An act of congress in 1949 officially established National Flag Day, even though Flag Day is not a bona fide federal holiday.
Why Does Flag Day Matter?
So, why should Flag Day matter to us? Besides elaborate parades and a general feeling of increased patriotism, what is the significance?
That’s a great question, and hopefully my response addresses all the fine points adequately. At its core, Flag Day is symbolic. The flag itself is a physical representation of what we as Americans believe. What is that belief? That belief is in a higher order of freedom and justice, where ‘the American dream’ is available to every man woman and child who lives in this country. When you think about it, that core belief shapes every part of society today, from the functions of government all the way down to the constitution itself. The flag in a very real sense represents America’s commitment to freedom, the unity of the states and what has been sacrificed to maintain freedom. Every star that adorns the United States flag represents a state and every stripe represents an original founding colony, all bound together in unity and common purpose.
Take The Chance to Remember
With July 4th around the corner, it seems only fitting to recognize our greatest symbol of freedom and the sacrifices made to preserve that freedom. Take the time to educate friends about Flag Day and make an extra effort to recognize it for what it is, another celebration of America’s freedom.