Old Glory will be out in force on Friday, July 4, Independence Day.
Mini, small, and large flags will greet onlookers. The Red, White, and Blue, the American Flag, will march in parades and adorn flag poles. The Star-Spangled Banner will be waving from sea to shining sea. It’s graceful folds ebbing and flowing in harmony with the wind.
In honor of Independence Day, millions will sport the colors red, white, and blue. But the flag isn’t any regular color, red or any regular color blue.
Distinguishing colors is tricky for me. I can’t tell navy from black or some purples from lavender. I’ve worn mismatched, navy and black shoes to work. I didn’t discover the mishap until the fashion-faux-pas monitor cited me.
Perfect red and true blue aren’t the official colors of our national flag.
This isn’t too surprising. There are so many variations of the two colors. There are hundreds of red shades: turkey, ruby, scarlet, cherry, you name or number it. The same goes for the shades of blue: presidential, navy, cadet, air force, etc.
As described by the Color Association of the U.S., the official curator of color palettes, the colors of the American Flag are White, Old Glory Red, and Old Glory Blue.
Well, glory be!
What is Old Glory Red and Old Glory Blue?
This description may or may not help. As cited in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, Old Glory Red is “a vivid red that is yellower and duller than apple red.” Old Glory Blue is “a moderate purplish blue that is redder and stronger than marine blue.”
For those who didn’t know, now you know.
But for the sake of this post, Old Glory Red and Blue will be referred to as red and blue, respectively.
The red and blue colors signify various character traits. Red denotes bravery and valor. White represents purity and innocence. Blue is symbolic of justice and perseverance.
Did you know the U.S. Flag is considered a living thing?
As stated in the United States Flag Code, “The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.”
Wow! I didn’t know this.
But I’ve never been a member of a color guard or Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program. Maybe participants of these programs learn this kind of cool stuff.
The Flag Code says it’s a living flag because it represents a living country. For this reason, the lapel flag pin should be worn next to the heart on the left lapel.
Our flag has 13 equal horizontal stripes (7 red & 6 white). The stripes represent the 13 original colonies that declared independence from Great Britain.
The blue rectangle is the canton.
The canton is the rectangular area or the upper left quarter of a flag nearest the hoist. The canton, commonly called the union, housed the 13 stars or colonies, during that time.
A founding father, John Adams, the second U.S. president, said the 13 stars, “white on a blue field,” represent a new constellation.
A constellation is an imaginary alignment or star pattern representing an animal, person, or thing.
What is the significance of the stars on the U.S. Flag being called a “constellation?”
I think that Adams and the Founding Fathers wanted the states to be a united and perfect union. They aspired for the U.S. to be a shining constellation in the world. They imagined a democratic and strong country for those seeking personal and religious freedoms. All the stars were to be morally aligned and represent the unalienable rights of all men.
Fifty pentagram stars are in the union, which represent the 50 states. Today, the United States Flag represents a constellation of 50 stars. There are 5 six-star rows and 4 five-star rows.
Would the Founding Fathers be proud of the constellation we are today?
But more importantly, are you proud of the country we are today?
The current U. S. Flag has been used since 1960 and is the longest used version.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the last or 50th star placed on the flag on August 2, 1959. This 50th star represents Hawaii, which was added to the Union and became the 50th state.
Adopted in July of 1960, the latest version of the flag will have been in use for 65 years in July of 2025
My state, Alabama, was the 22nd state to join the Union.
The American Flag stands for “One nation under God.” It stands for freedom, humanity, and justice for all.
Let’s celebrate! Explode the skies with fireworks: barbecue burgers, pork, and hot dogs.
It’s a great time for concerts, family reunions, and fun!
Remember, the ideals and values of a nation are lived out by its people, not its flag.
God bless America!
Happy Fourth of July 2025!
I hope you are happy and well.