How to Hang A US Flag Vertically
The U.S. flag is a symbol of our nation and should be treated with respect. Vertical hanging is one of the many ways it can be displayed. Materials needed to hang it will vary according to the size of the flag.
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Instructions
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Look at your flag. If it were being flown from a pole in the usual horizontal position, the edge that goes next to the flagpole is called the header. In a vertical display, this edge goes at the top. In the vertical position, the header should be attached to something that will keep the flag spread out flat, such as a rod or a dowel, so that the entire flag can be seen.
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Find the blue part of the flag that shows the stars, called the canton or union. Hold this corner in your right hand and the other end of the header in your left. To hang the flag in a window, walk up to the inside of the window and place the flag against the glass. This is how the flag should be seen from outside the window.
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Hang your flag vertically on a wall the way it looks from outside a window. Put the canton in your left hand, walk up to the wall and hang it that way.
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Position the flag correctly if you hang it vertically from a pole that extends from a building over a sidewalk. Place the canton at the end of the pole furthest from the building. If you are stretching it between two buildings, follow the directions for hanging the flag over a street.
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Hang a large flag over a street according to the direction the street runs. If the street goes north and south, put the canton on the west side. If it goes east and west, put the canton on the north side.
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Tips & Warnings
If you leave your flag hanging or flying outdoors at night, it should be lighted.
If you take it down, fold it neatly.
Never fly or hang the U.S. flag upside down except as a sign of distress. This means you need help, and you might get an unexpected visit from the police or the military.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit flag image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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Direct conflict between two eHow contributors. Martha Adams states, "... If the street goes north and south, put the canton on the west side." Yet Amy Kniss, another contributor and eHow Mony editor states, "The union section of the flag should face the east (when hung across a street that runs north and south)." Canton and Union are interchangeable in their meaning. According to Annin & Co., flag makers to the world since 1847, Ms. Kniss is correct. When the flag is hung on a street running north/south the union, or canton, should be on the east facing side. Sorry Ms. Adams.
