We have all heard of Flag Day, and we may have snickered and said, “What kind of holiday is that?” or “why do we celebrate that?” Little do most people realize the importance of this holiday because it is the holiday where citizens of the United States celebrate the American Flag.

The idea of specifying an annual day to celebrate the American Flag is thought to have first developed around 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for students in Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes on the Flag) as “Flag Birthday” or “Flag Day”.

June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, organized ceremonies for his students to observe Flag Day and the idea of observing Flag Day was then adopted by the State Board of Education June 14, 1891. That day the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a celebration, and June 14th the following year the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution celebrated Flag Day.

April 25, 1893 the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America adopted a resolution to request the Philadelphia mayor, everyone else in authority, and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th and to call June 14th “Flag Day”. Two weeks later a unanimous vote was made to celebrate Flag Day.

In 1894, the New York governor stated that the American Flag be displayed on all public buildings on June 14th.

In honor of Flag Day, On Ideas displayed their own Flags this week that they wanted to celebrate in addition to the American Flag! Then we hung up all of the flags together to show our pride!

Clancy – I picked the South Carolina flag because that is where my heart will forever and always live! I am a Lowcountry girl and simply can’t resist that South Carolina Coastline! I also picked the Swedish flag because I’ve made some great friends from the wonderful city of Stockholm! I also floated around the city with my friends for a couple weeks after high school graduation and I am itching to go back!

Kelly – I appreciate all of the flags of the world. One love.

Matt – I picked the Mexican Flag because Latinos are the backbone of American agriculture, manufacturing, food processing, and construction… and I love tacos.

Allison – I don’t normally fly flags, but when I do, it’s my freak flag.

Alexis – To show my love and support for my favorite football team, I chose to fly the Navy football flag. GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!

The American Flag Day Association was created to promote the celebration of Flag Day exercises. Despite its celebration through three decades of local and state celebrations, Flag day did not become officially established until the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916, and it was not until August 3,1949 that President Truman signed an Act of Congress titling June 14th as National Flag Day.

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