How to Display Flags on U.S. Holidays
With the exception of the Memorial Day holiday, the rules for displaying the flag on holidays are the same as displaying the flag on other days. The United States Flag Code details 19 specific holidays - mostly associated with American culture - in which it is appropriate to display the flag. It also stresses that the flag should be flown on the birthday of your state (the day it was admitted into the Union), the day of the president's inauguration, any election day and any specific day stipulated by the president. The rules for displaying the flag are extremely straightforward.
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Instructions
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Remove the flag from its storage space and carry it to the pole or other display area without letting it touch the ground. The flag should be raised at sunrise on the holiday in question and remain flying until sunset.
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Place or hang the flag so that it flies free, with the blue field appearing in the upper left hand corner to an observer. If you're hanging the flag over a street, the blue field should be in the northernmost corner (if the street runs east to west) or the easternmost corner (if the street runs north to south).
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Raise the flag briskly until it flies at the top of the pole. No other flags should be higher than it, though flags from other nations may be flown of equal height provided they are on another pole. If you only have one pole, keep all other flags beneath the United States flag.
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Lower the flag to half mast immediately after raising it on Memorial Day. The flag should be flown at half mast until noon - out of respect for those who gave their lives for the country - then raised to the top of the mast.
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Lower the flag slowly at sunset, then remove it from the pole. Fold it lengthwise in half, then lengthwise in half again. Starting at the end furthest from the blue field, fold up a triangle, then continue folding triangles until the entire flag has been folded into a thick triangle. There should be a little bit of fabric left over, which you can tuck into the triangle to hold it in place.
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Carry the flag reverently to its storage space, without letting it touch the ground, and keep it there until the next holiday.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're displaying your flag on an indoor pole (next to a podium or the like), it should be placed in front of the audience and on the speaker's right-hand side.
Check Section 6 of the Flag Code at www.ushistory.org to note which specific holidays are appropriate for flying the flag.
The flag should not be flown in inclement weather at any time unless it is made of weatherproof materials.
