Independence Day in the U.S.A. is celebrated on July 4th each year in memory of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  Sincerity and gratitude distinguish the national holiday.  

Traditional festivities are exuberant and, although perhaps reduced in size, will be possible again this summer in many communities due to the prevalence of the vaccine against the virulent COVID-19 virus.

The ravages of the pandemic presented another painful example of how the absence of good health steals freedom from individuals, families, cities, and countries.  Surely the pandemic spurred many people around the world to reflect deeply on what freedom means to them.

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, summarized their beliefs in the second paragraph of that revered document.

National Flag Day, June 14, commemorates the day in 1777 when the Second Continental Congress adopted the national flag of the United States of America.  

How did Flag Day begin? 

• 1885.  Perhaps the idea came from several sources.  In 1885, a young Wisconsin schoolteacher, Bernard J. Cigard (1866-1932), who later became a practicing dentist and dean of a dental school, conducted a "birthday for the flag" as a teaching tool.  
  • Cigrand is referred to as the "Father of Flag Day" for two main reasons:  
    • his formal observance on June 14, 1885, and
    • his tireless promotion of June 14 as a day devoted to an annual observance of the national flag.  
  • Dr. Cigrand's vision of an official National Flag Day, established by the U.S. government and celebrated throughout the country each year, was not realized until after his death. 
• 1916.  In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as the official date.
• 1949.  In 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed a Congressional Act into law which permanently established June 14 as "National Flag Day," but did not make it a federal holiday.

If Americans can fly their flag every day of the year, why is a Flag Day necessary?
Americans can fly the flag every day of the year, but June 14 is a special day of observance.