How to fly the American flag properly
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Ahead of the nation's 250th, more Americans than usual are displaying the Stars and Stripes.
Why it matters: Chances are, many Americans don't know the rules for displaying them, and that's where the U.S. Flag Code comes in.
The big picture: Aaron Bacon, a flag expert at the American Legion — a veterans organization that originally helped draft the code — says there's been a recent uptick in both American flag purchases and etiquette questions. He answered ours, and offered these flag-hanging tips.
1. The stars go in the top left — even when the flag hangs vertically.
- Hung horizontally, of course the union (the blue field with stars) goes in the upper-left corner.
- Hung the vertical way, the stars should still be in the upper left from the viewer's perspective, even if that may seem counterintuitive.
- "Think of it as how we read: Top down, left to right," says Bacon. The stars belong in "the highest place of honor, and so that's going to be your top left."
2. Display the flag only from sunrise to sunset — or 24/7 if it's lit.
- The default rule is to raise the flag at first light and bring it down in the evening.
- To fly it nonstop, it needs to be "specifically lit," Bacon says. A spotlight works.
- Bring cotton flags in for bad weather; all-weather synthetic flags can stay up.
3. You don't need to retire a flag just because it touches the ground.
- That's a myth, Bacon says, and you need to retire a flag only if it's actually damaged or badly faded.
- The easiest way to retire it: Bring your old flag to a local American Legion post. Most have collection boxes and conduct ceremonial retirements for flags, traditionally on Flag Day.
- The Legion advises against burning synthetic flags at home — the materials are bad for the air. Although there are crematories that accept them, many have stopped doing so because of the hazardous fumes the flags release when burned.
4. Flag-print swimsuits and tablecloths are fine.
- Flag Code applies to actual U.S. flags — not flag-themed clothing, towels, napkins or yard decor.
- "As long as you're not using an actual authorized flag as a towel, then it does not violate Flag Code," Bacon says.
- Small handheld parade flags and lawn flags also don't require formal retirement; they're considered decorative.
The bottom line: Violating the Flag Code carries no legal penalty. But for many Americans, these rituals matter because the flag carries weight far beyond the cloth.
- "To veterans, it means so much more than just a representation of our country," says Bacon, an Army infantry veteran who served in Iraq. "[The flag symbolizes] what we fought and bled and died for."
