What Does Each Fold in the American Flag Stand for?
According to the National Flag Foundation, the proper folding of the American flag starts with two lengthwise folds and progresses to 11 triangular folds, the purpose being to create an easy-to-handle and visually attractive display. The United States Flag Code does not assign official meaning to each fold; rather, each fold represents a principle or symbol, whose interpretation depends on the group honoring it.
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Flag Folding Specifics
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The folding of the American flag begins with two people facing each other. Each holds the flag horizontally and folds it in half lengthwise twice, with the stars on top. The person standing on the "stripes" end folds the flag triangularly 11 times towards the stars, with the stars facing upward on the final fold.
Religious Significance
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This frequently used version interprets each fold of the flag as embodying a religious principle instrumental to the founding of the country. These are, in the order fold: life, eternal life, veterans who have sacrificed their lives in service, the weaker nature of humans, hearts to pledge allegiance to the flag, tribute to country, tribute to armed forces, tributes to those who have entered the "Valley of the Shadow of Death," and tributes to womanhood and fatherhood. Two more folds honor the Jewish and Christian faiths. "In God We Trust" is recited at the final fold where the flag is tucked in with the stars facing upwards.
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National Flag Foundation Ceremony
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The flag folding ceremony adopted by the National Flag Foundation takes a more secular approach, interpreting each fold of the flag as embodying the American adherence to these ethical concepts: liberty, unity, justice, perseverance, hardiness, valor, purity, innocence, sacrifice, honor, independence and truth.
Air Force Ceremony
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There are no official flag folding ceremonies required for Air Force ceremonies, although Air Force personnel volunteering for flag folding duty may read from an approved script adopted in 2006. The script ties each fold to a significant historical event associated with the flag, including the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the 1969 moon landing.
Other Versions
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Other versions, such as the Boy Scout script and a script titled "The Flag" are offshoots of the script the Air Force uses, ascribing similar historical sentiment to each fold of the flag.
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- Photo Credit American Flag image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
