Fly your flag for Presidents’ Day

Courtesy photo

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America encourages all citizens to proudly display their American flags on Monday, Feb. 20, when the United States celebrates Presidents’ Day. This federal holiday was first implemented by an Act of Congress in 1880 and was the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen.

It was originally celebrated on Washington’s actual birthday, Feb. 22. When the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was enacted in 1971, the federal holiday shifted to the third Monday in February and would never land on Washington’s actual birthday. By the mid-1980s, there was a push from the public to call the holiday "Presidents’ Day" to honor the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

The FMAA wants to ensure that the flags proudly displayed are true symbols of patriotism by encouraging citizens to look for the FMAA Certification Seal when they purchase their own American flag. United States law requires every flag be labeled with its country of origin.

Those designated as "Made in USA" may be true to their name, but only those bearing the FMAA Certification seal are guaranteed to adhere to the standards and continued compliance as monitored by a professional association and its domestic members. Look for the FMAA Certification Seal to be sure it is truly an American made flag – made in America, for Americans, by Americans.

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America is a non-profit trade association, established in 2003, dedicated to educating and promoting the quality, variety and proper use of flags manufactured in the United States. For more information on these topics and on the FMAA, visit www.fmaa-usa.com.