USA Flags represent the United States and can be found year-round on government buildings and private homes. It is especially popular to fly flags on civic holidays like Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Presidents Day and Flag Day. Flags are also placed near war memorials and the graves of those who died fighting for America.
The American flag consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars. The thirteen stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against British rule and became the first states in the Union. The colors symbolize various meanings: red stands for hardiness and valor, white stands for purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance and perseverance.
Stars and Stripes Forever: Celebrating USA Flags
In 1818 Congress passed an act that stated that new stars would be added to the flag when two more states were admitted, but the number of stripes and stars would remain at thirteen to represent the original colonies. This design of the flag has remained unchanged since.
The American flag has several nicknames including “Old Glory” and the Star Spangled Banner. The name “Old Glory” was given to a flag that belonged to a ship captain in the War of 1812. He named it after his home town of Salem, Massachusetts and used it on patriotic occasions. This particular flag hung at the Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.