12 Myths About the American Flag

Myth #3: Americans have always flown the flag

Prior to the Civil War, flags were really only flown in an official capacity on ships, forts and government buildings. “In the antebellum period, if a citizen had flown his flag on his house or carriage, people would have thought that was strange. Why is he doing that? He’s not the government,” Ansoff said.

The outbreak of war in 1861 quickly changed Americans’ attitudes about displaying the flag.

“At the beginning of the Civil War there was an outburst of patriotism,” Ansoff said, “and very soon, you saw people flying flags everywhere to show their support for the Union cause.”

Myth #4: Red, white and blue have official meanings

The colors of the flag were not assigned any official meaning when the first flag was adopted in 1777. The traditional meanings assigned to the colors may have arisen five years later, in 1782, when Charles Thompson, the secretary of the Continental Congress, waxed poetic about the colors in the Great Seal of the United States, which he helped design.

Thompson described the red in the seal as representing hardiness and valor; the white, purity and innocence; and the blue, vigilance, perseverance and justice.

Myth #5: It’s against the law to burn the American flag

In the landmark case Texas v. Johnson in 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that desecrating the American flag is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment. Defendant Gregory Lee Johnson had burned a flag in an act of protest at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas. Prior to that ruling it was, indeed, illegal to burn the flag.

Subsequent efforts on the judicial and legislative fronts to make flag burning illegal again have failed.

Myth #6: It’s illegal to wear clothing bearing the flag

Wearing clothing made from an actual American flag would be a breach of etiquette, according to the American Legion, but it said you wouldn’t be breaking the law by wearing clothing bearing a flag design: “People are simply expressing their patriotism and love of country by wearing an article of clothing that happens to be red, white, and blue with stars and stripes. There is nothing illegal about the wearing or use of these items.”

Myth #7: A flag that touches the ground must be destroyed

According to the Flag Code, the American flag should never touch anything beneath it, including the ground, the floor or the water. “People have taken that to mean that if it ever does that, then it should be destroyed,” said Jeff Hendricks, deputy director of Americanism at the American Legion.

However, that’s not necessarily the case. Flags should be destroyed only when they are no longer in good enough condition to be displayed. If touching the ground didn’t render the flag unfit for display, then it shouldn’t be destroyed. Once a flag is unfit for display, burning it is the preferred method of destruction.

Myth #8: The flag should never be flown at night

Although it’s customary to display the American flag from sunrise to sunset, the flag can be displayed 24 hours a day as long as it is illuminated through the night, according to the Flag Code.

“What we’ve taken that to mean is that it must have sufficient light that the average passerby can readily identify it as the flag of the United States,” Hendricks said.

Myth #9: Only a veteran’s coffin can be draped with the American flag

“Nowhere in [the Flag Code] does it say that the flag may only cover the casket of a veteran,” said Hendricks, noting that the myth may stem from the fact that the Department of Veterans Affairs provides flags for the services of veterans and active-duty service members. “However, there’s nothing in the language of the Flag Code that would prevent anyone else from having a flag that covers their casket.”

When a flag is used to cover a coffin, it should be placed with the union — the blue field with stars — at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.

Myth #10: The flag must always be folded into a triangle for storage

Folding a flag into a triangle for storage, with only the blue union and stars visible, is part of tradition, said Hendricks, not a requirement of the Flag Code. Flags on a staff are properly stored in an entirely different manner that doesn't involve folding.

“Flags that are affixed to a staff are typically rolled around the staff, and then a burlap case is placed over the flag and staff,” he said. “So, at that point, you can handle it like luggage. It’s been properly stored.”

Myth #11: A flag with fewer than 50 stars should not be flown

Any American flag that was officially recognized during its time is still considered a living flag and should be respected, regardless of the number of stars on it. These flags can continue to be flown until they become unserviceable. It’s important to note that whenever a new state is admitted into the United States, one star should be added to the flag on the next Fourth of July following the admission.

Myth #12: Students are required to salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools

In the Supreme Court case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, the court ruled that forcing children in public schools to salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance violated their freedom of speech and religion.  

The ruling came after a school district in West Virginia expelled two students, who were Jehovah’s Witnesses, for refusing to salute the flag due to their religious beliefs. Subsequently, the state made saluting the flag a requirement. Walter Barnette, a Jehovah’s Witness, sued in U.S. District Court, and the case was eventually appealed to the Supreme Court, which issued the landmark ruling in 1943.

Editor’s note: This article, originally published July 2, 2020, has been updated with additional information.