Monday, May 26, 2008

Manic Monday


Mo's word for today is appropriately STAR.

My post is about the American flag for Memorial Day.

Apart from the numbers of stars and stripes representing the number of current and original states, respectively, and the union with its stars representing a constellation, there is no legally defined symbolism to the colors and shapes on the flag.

However, folk theories and traditions abound; for example, that the stripes refer to rays of sunlight and that the stars refer to the heavens, the highest place that a person could aim to reach.

Tradition holds that George Washington proclaimed: "We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty." (Wikipedia)

Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with golden fringe surrounding the perimeter of the flag itself as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the flag, such as those in parades or on indoor posts, often utilize fringe to enhance the beauty of the flag. The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the Army used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe, but a 1925 opinion of the attorney general addresses the use of fringe (and the number of stars"...) is at the discretion of the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy..."


Folding the U.S. Flag


HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
theteach

flag photos © maryt

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE this post. The flag folding was cool. :)

Durward Discussion said...

Those flags are glorious. I did my Memorial Day post earlier, so this one is a very funny "Star"

Cheerio said...

Beautiful flag. Mine is about our country's flag too.

Janna said...

I've always wondered how those flags were folded, ending up in such a neat little triangle!
Interesting!

RW said...

Love your flags Mary, I posted some to :D

Desert Songbird said...

Wonderful flag folding graphic. Wonderful.

Gattina said...

We don't celebrate a memorial day here in Europe, some countries celebrate the Nov 11, as a day to remember the victims of WW I and II but it isn't an official holiday.
I had the same idea about a flag, lol ! only mine is the European one.
You can also read about our trip to the US in 1971 !! You see I have seen quite a lot of your country !

SandyCarlson said...

Not here for MM but just because you're you....

Thanks for this patriotic moment. God bless, Mary.

Anonymous said...

this is very informative. thanks for sharing.

happy memorial day to you!

sgreerpitt said...

In many small towns and rural areas Memorial Day is also called "decoration day" and is a time for putting flowers on all loved ones graves.

Sandy M said...

Great post! Have an awesome Memorial Day.

Anonymous said...

Cool animated flag folding! My post just happens to have flags today!

Merle said...

Hi The Teach ~~ Nice to meet you and thank you very much for your wishes
for my birthday and I had a wonderful weekend. And today, I got three more
cards and went out for lunch with 3 of my neighbors. I hope your special
day was very happy for you too.
Glad you enjoyed the jokes and quotes
Take care, Cheers, Merle.

Unknown said...

What a superb post for today. I have been saving the item I posted just for today myself.
Would you want to help me adjust my header to a 125 x 125 pixel jpeg? Then I can get started on Entrecard.

Travis Cody said...

Excellent. I like the little graphic on folding the flag.

Jim said...

You did good, Mary. Thank you. And yes, our flag is flying from the flower bed out front today.

We have a flag folded like the one you showed being folded in our home. It was given to Mrs. Jim at our friend's funeral. This lady had never married, had no children, and no closer relatives than distant cousins.

Ms. Wolff treated and thought of Mrs. Jim as her next of kin.

Ms. Wolff, Florence, was stationed in Corpus Christi in the U.S. Navy during the WWII and decided to retire back to there. She died in CC last year at age 94. Her ashes are burried here in Houston.

You may know some of her relatives, there aren't many. She grew up in the NYC area, her parents moved to Long Island and she considered that her home.
http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/2007/03/in-memory-of-florence-e-wolff-very.html
..