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June 14th is the day we celebrate Old Glory. While not a federal holiday, Flag Day marks the anniversary of that day in 1777, when the Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes through the First Flag Act. Though the flag’s design has officially changed 27 times over the course of its history, the stars and stripes have come to symbolize the liberty and freedom that form the foundation of American ideals. The current iteration of the flag has been in service since 1960, which is the longest duration of any design. It’s common knowledge that there’s one star for every state and one stripe for each original colony but many people aren’t as familiar with what the colors symbolize. Red represents hardiness and valor; white represents purity and blue symbolizes vigilance and justice. Started by a Wisconsin school teacher in 1885, Flag Day is usually celebrated with parades and people proudly displaying red, white, and blue above their homes. Looking at all the different versions of the flag that have existed, is like taking a trip down memory lane for America. The various designs detail the history of the country and what had to be achieved in order for the United States to become what it is today. There’s a saying about parades and how everyone enjoys them. Flag Day acts as a sort of precursor to July 4th. Sights and smells of barbecues and pool parties start to become more common, reminding us that summer is in full swing. June 14th also coincidentally marks the birthday of the United States Military as well. If you’d like to be patriotic on Flag Day and celebrate, there are a few rules of etiquette to follow when displaying your flag: -Flags are traditionally only supposed to be displayed in public from sunrise to sunset. -After sunset, it can stay up but needs to be illuminated. -Flags cannot be displayed during rain, snow, or wind storms, unless it is an all-weather flag. -The flag should be raised briskly and lowered ceremoniously. PumpProducts.com sales specialists are standing by to help you find the right pump or part, as well as to provide price quotes, stocking availability and shipping information. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800 to speak to an expert today.

Today, June 14 marks Flag Day, one of the more underrated holidays on the American calendar. It is a day to celebrate the that venerable symbol of American beauty, power and freedom, the Star-Spangled Banner. It’s not an official federal holiday - chances are you’re reading this it at work - but it has an interesting history of its own that deserves recognition nonetheless.  Flag Day specifically celebrates the adoption of “Old Glory” as the official flag of the United States which occurred on June 14, 1777, a little less than a year after the Declaration of Independence. Flags are of course, an important emblem for a people or a country. They (ostensibly) represent something essential about the people who fly it. In the case of the American flag, the symbolism is famously quite straightforward: the 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies while the 50 stars represent the current 50 states. Red is meant to represent courage and valor, white represents a sense of purity and innocence and blue represents “vigilance, perseverance and justice.” Of course, not everyone likes the design of the flag and would prefer an older version: But now the flag, the colors and the stripes are a foundational part of American iconography. These symbols inspire reverence and devotion. You can argue that every country loves its flag. But have you ever noticed that other nations’ sports teams will often wear colors that have nothing to do with the national flag American sports teams are always decked out in stars and stripes. We love the flag. The flag has also been used in unexpected ways. Here’s a sampling of different art works that have been inspired by the flag. It is fascinating to see the different ways that people interpret the classic piece of American iconography. All these photos were taken from the wonderful “eflags” blog. The person who runs the blog aggregates different flag artworks from around the web. Visit the site for more! Danh Vō - Pao Soft (2010) Brandon Carleton - Untitled, Sioux City, Iowa (2015) B.F. Perkins - Mailbox (1985) Linda Hinrichs - Title unknown (1986) Jasper Johns - Two Flags (Whitney Anniversary) (1980) James Cross - Title unknown (1986) Gail Rosenbloom Kaplan - American Flag (date unknown) Pump Products application engineers are standing by to help you find the right pump, as well as to provide price quotes, availability and shipping information. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800.