Posted on Jun 14, 2018 in Senior Veterans
Flag Day, celebrated on June 14th, is one of the lesser known American celebrations to occur during the summer alongside Memorial Day and Independence Day. Flag Day is an important celebration of the adoption of the United States Flag in 1777, by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress.
On June 14th, 1777, the Second Continental Congress formally replaced the Grand Union Flag of Great Britain with the new American design of thirteen stars in a circle alongside thirteen red and white stripes. There’s no historical record of who exactly created the design for the flag, but it is commonly attributed to the seamstress Betsy Ross. Other possible creators include Rebecca Young and Francis Hopkinson.
In June of 1886, a dean at the University of Chicago, Illinois named Bernard Cigrand made the first public proposal for the adoption of a special day to annually celebrate the birth of the flag. He proposed the idea in an article for the Chicago Argus entitled “The Fourteenth of June”. Bernard would spend the next decade as an advocate for celebrating the symbols and emblems of American pride, and in June 1894 organized the first successful celebration of Flag Day with over 300,000 school children in Chicago. In June of 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City hosted a series of small ceremonies for his classroom that celebrated the adoption of the flag.
Bernard became the first president of the American Flag Day Association and of the National Flag Day Society later on. Throughout his life he continued to be an educator and promoter of awareness surrounding the American Flag. After his passing in 1932, Bernard was eulogized as the Father of Flag Day. On June 14th, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson formally recognized the establishment of the holiday as a nationwide observance. However, Flag Day would not officially become a holiday until August of 1946, when it was formally established by Congress under Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle 1, Part A, Chapter 1.
The week of June 14th is officially designated as flag week, and U.S. citizens are encouraged to fly the American flag for the duration of the week. The flag is meant to be displayed on government buildings, homes, and places of business. Because it is not recognized as a federal holiday, there is no mandated day off from work. Many schools and small towns celebrate Flag Day with ceremonial flag raising, recitation of the national anthem, and praise for the armed forces.
Looking Towards The Future:
At Landmark Senior Living, we care about those who served our country and those who continue to do so. That’s why we’re unveiling a new campaign to help senior veterans and their spouses unlock the benefits available to them through the Aid and Attendance Program offered by the VA. If you’re looking for assisted living benefits for Veterans, visit Landmark Senior Living in Fall River.