Teaching the Next Generation

Aug 08, 2022

The summer is filled with patriotic holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and several others. As summertime comes to a close, it’s time for many children to begin preparing to go back to school. Although most of our patriotic holidays are celebrated in the summer, it’s still a great time to continue to teach our next generation about the rich history and symbolism of the American flag.

Getting the Next Generation Involved

You may be wondering how we can educate our next generation and get them involved. There are several ways to get the entire family and community involved.

Young Children: Have children help with displaying the American flag at home. Narrate what you are doing and why you are doing it. Be sure to speak in plain language when you talk about our holidays and the American flag. Some examples are:

“We live in a country called the United States of America. Just like when you draw a picture of yourself, our flag is like a picture to show our country.”  

“Just like you have a birthday, so does America. We celebrate it on the Fourth of July.”

Older Children: Discuss the symbolism of the American flag. Ask them if they know what the colors, stars, and stripes represent and how our country was founded. Visiting a history museum is also a great way to show them a piece of our history.

Teaching our next generation the rich tradition, history, and symbolism behind our great American flag is an important task. Regardless of how you choose to do it, be sure to use your 100% made in America, Real American Flag. We pride ourselves on getting our younger generation involved and educated about our great country’s history.

History

The official American flag we’re familiar with wasn’t adopted until almost two years after our nation was founded. On June 14, 1777 the Continental Congress voted to officially adopt the American flag. This date is why we celebrate Flag Day every June 14th. Although legend has it that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag, there is very little historical evidence that supports this claim.

Throughout the years, there have been 27 versions of the American flag. As our great nation grew, so did our flag. We began with 13 stars and stripes, for the original 13 colonies. Since the year 1960, we have had the flag we know and love today with its 13 stripes and 50 stars, each representing a state in our union.

Symbolism

Our American flag is filled with rich symbolism, from our stars and stripes to the red, white, and blue colors.

• The thirteen red and white stripes represent our original 13 colonies and their fight for freedom. Each of the 50 stars represents a state in our union.
• Red stands for valor and bravery.
• White represents purity and innocence.
• Blue symbolizes justice, perseverance, and vigilance.

Flag Care and Etiquette

There are several important things to remember when displaying and caring for the American flag.

Displaying the Flag: The flag should only be displayed at the peak of the flagpole, unless it is a special day like Memorial Day, or national tragedy. When hung on a wall, the stars should be to the viewer’s left. It is customary to display the flag from sunrise to sunset in good weather. The flag can be displayed twenty-four hours a day if it is properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.The American flag should never be worn or used for decoration. You can use bunting with blue on top, then white, then red.

Folding the Flag: The flag should be folded lengthwise two times, and then folded triangularly starting with the stripes. The American Legion has a great example with a diagram.

Storing the Flag: The flag should be stored in a cool, dry place where it will not get wet. Special care should be taken to ensure that the flag will stay clean and avoid touching dirt or water.