Flag etiquette. Learn some basic flag etiquette rules. Two-hundred years ago, flag etiquette was very different in the United States. People had to follow the rules closely or they would be cited with a ticket...
Two-hundred years ago, flag etiquette was very different in the United States. People had to follow the rules closely or they would be cited with a ticket or even worse, arrested. Joe Parish, President of Capitol Flag Company in Austin, Texas, with more than 50 years in the flag business, says the time of day you hang a flag is not so important anymore.
"What the rules used to say was that the flag should be flown from sunup to sundown. Nowadays, people generally like to fly them a lot more than that. So they edited the flag code and stated that if a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be flown 24 hours a day, if illuminated during hours of darkness. So as long as you put a light on your flag pole, it's okay to fly it 24 hours a day," Parish says.
Flag stores sell these lights, or you can find them in any hardware or garden store. Just let the employees know that you are looking for a light for your flag, and they can direct you to the right area. According to Parish, many people still aren't hanging their flags right. They don't know about using lights on their flag at night. Flag etiquette is not something everybody is keen on these days. If you have any questions, all you have to do is call a flag store. You can even email them via the internet.
Another important area of flag etiquette is hanging flags of more than one nation in your yard or business. If you're unsure about how to do this, you're not alone.
"If you are flying more than one nation, there are rules for that, too. For example, the Economic Summit was here in Houston back in the year 1991. They had the United States, the United Kingdom, England, France, Germany, and seven different countries. People were all trying to figure out how to display all those flags. The rule book states that when flying countries of more than one nation, if it's in America, the U.S. flag goes first on the viewing public's left. Then, after that, flags go in alphabetical order. So Canada came next, and I believe France, Germany and the others followed," Parish says.
Parish says if you're hanging several nations' flags in your yard or your business, the best advice is to do some research, to make sure none of the flag etiquette rules have changed.
If you're not using different national flags in your garden, you really don't have to worry. You can hang any type of flag you want, anytime of day, without worrying about etiquette. Fill your garden with every color and variety; flag etiquette doesn't apply to you. On the other hand, you want to make sure you don't keep your flag flying year round. You may want to switch it out with other flags. The sun will fade your flag. The weather also has its effects on flags. For maintenance, switch out your flags every few weeks. They will last a whole lot longer.
