Here are some tips to make sure your tribute is a respectful one:
Display the flag only between sunrise and sunset on buildings
and stationary flagstaffs. The flag may be displayed for
twenty-four hours if illuminated in darkness.
Do not display the flag in inclement weather.
Whether displaying the flag vertically or horizontally, make
sure the canton of stars is visible on the upper left-hand
side.
Do not let the flag touch the ground.
An unusable flag that is damaged and worn and can no longer be
displayed should be destroyed in a dignified way by burning.
When not on display, the flag should be respectfully folded
into a triangle, symbolizing the tricorn hats worn by
colonial soldiers in the Revolutionary War.
Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. It is not clear
who actually designed it, but the experts at the Betsy
Ross House suggest it was Francis Hopkinson, a New
Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer
of the Declaration of Independence.
The flag has 13 stripes representing the original 13
colonies (7 red and 6 white). In the upper left corner
is a navy blue field with 50 white stars that represents
the states.
There is no official designation or meaning for the colors
of the flag.
There is no record stating why red, white, and blue where
chosen for the flag. However, when the Great Seal of the
United States was chosen this is what was listed for
them.
white for purity and innocence
red for valor and hardiness
blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice
Folktales says that George Washington interpreted the flag
in this way:
the stars were taken from the sky,
the red from the British colors,
and the white stripes signified the secession from the
home country.
If the flag is flown upside down it signals distress. It
means "I need help, I'm in trouble".
Worn out flags are destroyed, usually by burning.
When flown at half-staff, the flag is raised to the top of
the flag pole then lowered to half-staff. When taken
down, the flag is again raised to the top and then
brought down.
A flag is flown from dawn to dusk. However, it may be
flown for 24 hours if illuminated during the hours of
darkness.
The flag should never touch the ground, the floor, or
water.
The
Liberty Bell rung July 8, 1776 to announce the adoption of
the Declaration of Independence.
This bell has had quite a history.
On November 1, 1751, a bell was ordered from the Whitechapel
Foundry in England with the intention it should hang in the
State House steeple, now Independence Hall.
September 2, 1752, the bell arrived and March 10, 1753 in was
hung. It cracked while the sound was being tested. The break
was believed to be cause by flaws in the casting.
The cracked bell was melted down and recast by the local
Philadelphia foundry. An ounce and a half to a pound of
copper was added in an attempt to make the new bell less
brittle. The tone of this bell was not liked and so it was
again melted down and recast.
In June of 1753 the bell was hung again but the tone was still
not approved of. A new bell was ordered from England. After
it arrived it was agreed that it sound no better than the
last. The previous bell was left in the steeple and the new
bell was placed in the cupola on the State House roof and
attached to the clock to sound the hours.
Independence Day is the celebration of adoption of the
Declaration of Independence. It was written by Thomas
Jefferson and signed by the Second Continental Congress -
July 4, 1776. This statement gave the colonies freedom from
Great Britain.
Independence Day was first observed in Philadelphia on July 8,
1776. In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a federal legal
holiday.
"It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, games,
sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one
end of this continent to the other, from this time forward
forevermore."
-John Adams
I pledge Allegiance to the flag,
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic,
for which it stands,
one nation under God,
indivisible,
with Liberty, and Justice for all
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we
watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the
rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still
there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet
wave O'er the land of the free and the home of
the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of
the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread
silence reposes, What is that which the breeze,
o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows,
now conceals, now discloses? Now it catches the
gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory
reflected now shines on the stream: 'Tis the
star-spangled banner! O long may it wave O'er the
land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's
pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and
slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of
the grave: And the star-spangled banner in
triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued
land Praise the Power that hath made and
preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, for
our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In
God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner
forever shall wave O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave!
Like colored gold dust sparkling high in the sky, watching
fireworks is a 4th of July tradition.
Fireworks contain explosive materials and only experts
should handle them. There are some fireworks available for
public use called "consumer fireworks". These fireworks
include cone fountains, cylindrical fountains, roman
candles, skyrockets, firecrackers, mines and shells,
helicopter-type rockets, certain sparklers and revolving
wheels. Stay away from anything that isn't clearly labeled
with the name of the item, the manufacturer's name and
instructions for proper use. Even these products should be
used with caution and always with adult supervision.
Firework rockets work in a similar fashion to military
rockets. A fuse ignites a combustible substance, which forms
gases that jet out propelling the rocket upwards. Once the
rocket is high in the sky, a second combustible substance
explodes. The explosion releases firecrackers (causing the
bang) and the colored sparkles.
Many different substances go into making fireworks. Coloring
agents include: lithium for red, sodium for gold and yellow,
copper to help create blue, barium for the green (it also
help stabilize volatile elements). Titanium and iron help
produce sparks and sulfur helps to fuel fireworks.
To help you celebrate safely this Fourth of July, the
Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Council
on Fireworks Safety offer the following
safety tips:
Always read and follow label directions:
Have an adult present
Buy from reliable fireworks sellers
Ignite outdoors
Have water handy
Never experiment or attempt to make your own fireworks
