Red, White & Blue Etiquette

As we take time to acknowledge Memorial Day, many of us will fly a flag to honor our country's fallen. But did you know that there is a certain protocol to follow when displaying an American flag? In fact, there are actual laws in effect to protect and honor the Red, White and Blue.

Before you set out a flag this Memorial Day, be sure to review the flag etiquette rules. For a full list, including the Flag Code, visit USHistory.org.

• A flag should not be flown in inclement weather, unless it is an all-weather flag
• The flag should not be displayed in the dark. One should display a flag from sunrise to sunset unless it will be properly illuminated during the hours of darkness 
• Any time the flag is displayed in a place other than from a pole or staff, it should be hung flat with the blue/star portion (referred to as "the union") at the observers upper left. The same is true when it is hung from a window-- the flag should be positioned so that from the street, the union appears in the upper left hand corner 
• When a flag is flown at half-staff, it should first be raised to the very top of the flag pole for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position
• A flag should never be draped across the back of things like boats, nor should it be used as a table cloth Flag pins should be worn on the left lapel near the heart 
• A flag should never be allowed to touch what lies beneath it (whether the ground, water or an object)