Flag Day is less than a week away so we thought you might enjoy learning a little bit about our nation’s logo … err flag: “Old Glory.” Well you have to admit—from an advertising standpoint—our nation’s flag is one great Logo, but we’ll get into that later—and now for the trivia!
1). Why Do We Celebrate Flag Day?
To be honest, we’re not sure anybody actually celebrates Flag Day as much as they just sort of acknowledge it. Since Independence Day is just a couple of weeks after Flag Day, the real celebration happens on July 4th—so you may want to put our Flag Day factoids into your pocket until then when they can be used to dazzle and amaze your family and friends over hotdogs and horseshoes. Flag Day commemorates the day in 1777 when the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution.
2). Betsy Ross May Not Have Designed Old Glory
That’s right, we really don’t know who actually designed the first, post-Revolutionary War American flag. Even now, there is no conclusive proof that Ross designed or created it. However, we do know that Ross and several others were hired to create flags in 1777 based on the criteria established by the Flag Resolution.
3). Old Glory was Open to Interpretation
You see, the Flag Resolution of 1777 stated: “Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Notice how there was no mention of how many points the stars should have had, nor any directions as to their arrangement? Therefore, the style and arrangement of stars were open to interpretation. For instance, Betsy Ross’s stars had five points and were arranged in a circle while Francis Hopkinson’s stars had six points and were arranged in rows. Other flag makers of the period put their own spin on our flag as well.
