Meaning Of American Flag Day

For more than one hundred years, the meaning of American Flag Day has never diminished and grows increasingly more significant in light of twenty-first century global unrest. Conceived in 1885 by Wisconsin schoolteacher B.J. Cigrand as an annual holiday to celebrate the national symbol of the United States, Flag Day is observed on June 14th of each year. The first celebration by Cigrand and his Fredonia, Wisconsin public school students commemorated the 108th anniversary of the first Act passed by the Continental Congress to establish a national banner for the newly formed United States. The Act of June 14, 1777 resolved that the official banner be designed with thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars, representing a new Constellation of the thirteen colonies, stitched on a blue background. The 1777 Congressional resolution laid the foundation for the meaning of American Flag Day by emphasizing a strong union of those thirteen colonies, forever linked together by the threads of a fledgling Democracy.

Cigrand's vigilant campaign to convince others to celebrate Flag Day on June 14th soon paid off. George Balch, a New York City kindergarten teacher observed the holiday in 1889 and the New York State Board of Education soon followed suit. Two years later, Philadelphia's Betsy Ross House, named after the seamstress credited with sewing the first American flag, began holding annual observances. Meanwhile, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution (SSR) caught the vision and began celebrations in 1892. Colonel J. Granville Leach, historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution, also convinced SSR's sister association to join in the campaign to lead the city of Philadelphia to officially celebrate the holiday on June 14, 1893. Three decades after Cigrand's noble efforts to push commemorating the 18th century birth of the "Stars and Stripes;" on May 30, 1916, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson officially established the holiday as a national observance. Another three decades passed before President Harry Truman signed a Congressional Act proclaiming June 14th as National Flag Day.

Historically, the meaning of American Flag Day has never been more significant than in times of war and global terrorism. In World War II, battle weary U.S. soldiers raised the American banner over Iwo Jima, Japan, signaling a victorious end of a conflict began when Japanese forces bombed the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Almost an exact replica of the historical scene at Iwo Jima was repeated on September 11, 2001, after two hijacked airliners struck the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center. Three firefighters, weary from battling the still smoking debris, raised the "Stars and Stripes" in obstinate defiance of the terrorists responsible for taking the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent civilians in the early morning attack. And while many dispute the validity of the War in Iraq, the meaning of American Flag Day continues to spur battle weary U.S. troops to continue to engage in armed conflict for what many have called, "a fight for democracy."

When faced with individual battles or those on a national scale, God is well able to defend those who belong to Him. And when seen and unseen forces threaten to take away peace, liberty, or life; the Holy Spirit lifts up a standard, or flag, against them. God's Word offers encouragement for those who face difficult natural or spiritual battles: "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19b). "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, though the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea;" (Psalms 46:1-2).

To keep patriotism and a love for democracy alive, Americans can send free Flag Day e-cards to one another on June 14th of each year. E-cards are beautifully illustrated with professional photos of "Old Glory" in all her majesty. An ideal gift for soldiers fighting in Iraq, free Flag Day e-cards serve to encourage America's warriors to continue standing against terrorism at home and abroad. Spouses of service men and women will be encouraged and their spirits lifted by whimsical and lighthearted e-cards. School aged children can continue the legacy of B.J. Cigrand's public school pupils by making a tradition of celebrating June 14th by sending free e-cards to pen pals, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Youngsters can go online to e-card publisher websites, select electronic greetings, and personalize them with special messages and photos to encourage American military personnel or correspond with parents serving abroad, free of charge.

Free Flag Day e-cards can be sent to multiple recipients at the same time all over the world. Unlike using the U.S. postal service, senders can e-mail as many cards as they like and get responses in minutes from delighted recipients. Rather than text messaging or telephoning family and friends via long distance, talkative teens and out-of-state college kids can avoid cell phone fees with free e-cards. Teens can type in unlimited text messages and add photos and graphics, animated cartoons, or sound to e-cards without spending a cent. The only requirement is that recipients have access to email and the Internet. A novel idea for foreign exchange students, traveling business associates, and flight attendants is to send an electronic card from far away destinations to loved ones to inform them of a safe arrival. Families, spouses, and loved ones will know immediately that all is well when free Flag Day e-cards show up in the recipient's e-mail. To keep the meaning of American Flag Day alive, all it takes is a patriotic spirit, Internet access, and a love for the red, white and blue!

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