Now that you have chosen your American flag, taken it out of the box and run it up the flagpole, you probably have some questions on its display and care. Here are some common questions and answers.
"I live in the rainy northwest. Should I take down my flag during a rainstorm?"
Most flags are considered all-weather, that is you may fly them during sunny days as well as rainy ones. Both nylon and polyester are all-weather flags. Cotton, which has a traditional look and feel, is great for sunny days but does not dry quickly and is not considered all-weather.
"Once my flag is up I don't want to bother taking it down every night. Can I fly it 24 hours a day?"
Our custom is to display the American flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings, homes and stationary flagstaffs. But it is perfectly fine to fly your flag around the clock provided it is properly illuminated during nighttime hours. What is "properly illuminated"? There should be a light directly on the flag, either from below or above or sufficient local lighting to make the flag visible at night.
"I love my new American flag but I also have respect for my grandfather's old flag from 1956 that has only 48 stars. Can I fly this flag?"
Go ahead and fly that old flag. Official United States flags, from Betsy Ross to today's 50-star version, are all considered active flags and may be proudly flown.
"I am planning on celebrating the end of summer with a big Labor Day barbecue and am thinking of a cake decorated with a flag motif. Is this proper?"
You may hear objections to a cake that looks like the United States flag but we think it is okay. You are, after all, not consuming the flag but a cake made beautiful with the image of our country.