Happy almost 4th of July to my fellow Americans!
Hopefully there are plenty of Star Spangled Banners flying where you live this week.
I’m not far from Lexigton & Concord, MA, so we see the 50-star and 13-star versions all the time.
It turns out the study of flags – US and global, past and present – has a name: vexillology.
Experts in this field, called vexillologists, study multiple subtopics including:
☆ Design – Physical characteristics of flags like shape, size, and color.
☆ Symbolism – The meaning of various elements on a flag.
☆ History – The origin and evolution of flags over time.
☆ Culture – The role flags play in society and culture, including national identity.
☆ Protocol – The rules governing the display and use of flags.
The last one is big for me.
My elementary school and summer camp both taught how to fold, carry, raise, and lower a flag starting in Kindergarden. We were taught the flag is precious and should be treated with respect and reverence. As the granddaughter of two WWII veterans and wife of a retired US Army veteran, I believe that now more than ever.
If you’re curious about the proper care and handling of the flag, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) has a great plain-language summary of the rules and protocols on their website – vfw (dot) org (slash) community (slash) flag-etiquette
Wishing everyone a bright, sunny 4th so your flags can fly high!
