Who makes the decision that flags need to be flown at half staff? Also do other countries in the world do this besides America?
Q: What does a flag at half-staff outside the Post Office mean?
A: “Help Wanted”
There’s no central authority for half-mast-flag-flying. This is a decision made individually by each organization flying the flag. Occasionally, in times of national mourning, you will hear a public figure suggest that flags be flown at half mast, but it remains merely a suggestion.
On a side note, I sometimes wonder how many people responsible for raising flags know the official protocol. You’re supposed to raise the flag all the way to the top first, then lower it half-way. Bet we could catch a lot of them on this.
And the reverse when lowering: raise it to the top, then bring it down.
I was one of the designated flag-raisers at my elementary school. My friend and I would arrive early each school day and raise the flag, then take it down after school and fold it. Fortunately, in those days (late 1970s) we never needed to fly the school flag at half mast.
I’m always amazed at people who are patriotic enough to fly the flag, but fly one that’s in tatters or faded or both. Our neighbors when I was a kid had a flagpole, and after one terrible ice storm we awoke to find bits of their flag embedded in the half inch of ice that coated the sidewalk, the yard, our cars, etc.
Hold on, char. Maybe it’s a suggestion to private individuals, but Presidents can certainly order flags to be flown half-staff on post offices and other federal buildings, as can governors on state buildings, and mayors on fire houses, police precincts, parks and city buildings.
Back home in Denmark, there’s a list of “official flag days”, where most people (and all public offices with a flagpole) will fly the flag. Two of these are official “half-staff days”, namely Good Friday (flag at half staff the entire day) or the anniversary of the German invasion (flag at half staff until noon).
Danes, BTW, are crazy about their flag and will fly it at the slightest provocation.
S. Norman
“Danes, BTW, are crazy about their flag and will fly it at the slightest provocation.”
Consider this a provoke. I dare ya!
OK, I’ve just scotch-taped a two-foot “Dannebrog” to my monitor. So there!
S. Norman
This is what it says in US Code Title 36 Section 175:
For those that want the thorough answer. Of course, I think this only covers flags on federal government buildings.
In Canada, the Speaker of the House of Commons can order the flag over Parliament lowered on certain occasions; the Governor-General can order flags at federal properties lowered; as can the provincial Lieutenant-Governors on provincial properties; and on occasions of national mourning (e.g., the recent death of former PM Trudeau), government asks private citizens to do the same, but there’s no jurisdiction to order anyone to do anything. Of course, by the time the orders are requests are officially made, most flag-flying folk have already lowered their pennant.
To hell with US Code; Cecil himself covered this in his very first book!
When I was in college I worked as a bellman at the Holiday Inn. During breaks & holidays & such I would occasionally work the morning shift, and part of the morning shift’s bellman duties was to raise our flags (we had six: one each for MO, KS, AR and OK, and two U.S.). It was during this time that Richard Nixon died.
Despite Cecil’s suggestion in his first book that the sitting president, upon the death of Richard Nixon, order a 30-day period of embarassed throat-clearing, President Clinton did, indeed, order a 30-day period of mourning. And so it came to pass that on the days when I worked the morning shift, I would raise our flag to half-staff.
BTW, what is the protocol for flying flags other than that of the U.S. (say, those of the state) when Old Glory is to be flown at half-staff? IOW, should I have lowered the flags of MO, AR, KS & OK, too?
labradorian, wouldn’t it be a joint decision of the Speaker of the Commons and the President of the Senate? I would have thought both would have a say, since the flag flies over Parliament as a whole?