A U.S. flag flies at a polling place in Glasgow, Kentucky, in 2016. Photo by Kevin Willis, WKU Public Radio.
Nine events spread over seven different days come with urgings to fly the U.S. flag in November: Six states celebrate statehood, Veterans Day falls as always on November 11, and Thanksgiving Day on November 22.
Did I say eight? 2018 is an election year for Congress; we fly flags at polling places on election day, so that makes nine events. You may fly your flag at home on election day, too. (Yes, flags should be flown at all early polling places, on days of early voting, too — do you know of poll where that did not occur? Tell us in comments.)
Two states, North Dakota and South Dakota, celebrate their statehood on the same date. Washington’s statehood day falls on Veterans Day, November 11 — so there are only seven days covering nine events.
In calendar order for 2018, these are the seven days:
- North Dakota statehood day, November 2 (1889, 39th or 40th state)
- South Dakota statehood day, November 2 (1889, 39th or 40th state) (shared with North Dakota)
- Election day, November 6 (Congress and several states) — Go vote!
- Montana statehood day, November 8 (1889, 41st state)
- Veterans Day, November 11
- Washington statehood day, November 11 (1889, 42nd state) (shared with Veterans Day)
- Oklahoma statehood day, November 16 (1907, 46th state)
- North Carolina statehood day, November 21 (1789, 12th state)
- Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November (November 22 in 2018)
Most Americans will concern themselves only with Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day. Is flying the U.S. flag for statehood day a dying tradition?
More:
- How to fly the U.S. flag (Mental Floss)
- “Guidelines to Display the U.S. Flag,” at the website of the American Legion, carrying a note they came from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Congress’s flag etiquette guide, “Our Flag”
- A few rules from the Boy Scouts of America guide on flag etiquette
- A list of dates to fly the U.S. flag, a basic reference service of Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub
Polling station in South Carolina. SCETV image.
Yes, this is an encore post. Fighting ignorance takes longer than we hoped.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
[…] Next date to fly the U.S. flag is Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018 — tomorrow; that’s… […]
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Thank you for being such a faithful follower of these flag posts. About a thousand people read the posts you comment on; you speak for most of them, I think.
A flag at the polling place is almost a silly affectation, until one gets a chance to visit 30 or 40 polling places on an election day, and one sees how the flag marks a great democratic exercise, how it calms down and sobers up discussion, and how it provides a flapping, visible and sometimes audible sign that our democracy works.
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I will look for a flag on election day at my polling place!
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