In honor of Flag Day today, here’s a patriotic puzzle I wrote. And, some fun facts I found below. Enjoy!
Why do we celebrate Flag Day on June 14th?
It’s the birthday of the United States flag. It’s on this day in 1777 that the Continental Congress approved the design of a national flag in the Flag Act. From the official minutes:
Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun14.html
Why red, white, and blue, and the stars and stripes?
While the flag’s colors did not have a specific meaning at the time, the colors were significant for the Great Seal of 1782.
White: Signifies purity and innocence; Red: Signifies valor and bravery; Blue: Signifies Vigilance, perseverance, and justice; Stars are considered a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; The stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun. http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/flag.html
Did you know?
Most people only fly the flag on patriotic holidays, but did you know it’s encouraged to fly the flag on all of these special days:
New Year’s Day (Jan 1); Inauguration Day (Jan 20); Lincoln’s Birthday (Feb 12); President’s Day (third Monday in Feb); Easter Sunday; Mother’s Day; Armed Forces Day; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon); Flag Day (June 14); Independence Day (July 4); Labor Day; Sept 11; Constitution Day (Sep 17); Columbus Day; Navy Day (Oct 27); Veterans Day (Nov 11); Thanksgiving Day; Pearl Harbor Day (Dec 7); Christmas Day; the birthdays of States and State Holidays.