Inspired by today being Memorial Sunday–that’s the Sunday before Memorial Day (as celebrated in the United States) for the curious.
I was “priviledged” to watch a flag-folding ceremony with accompanying commentary explaining the patriotic/religious significance of each of the 13 folds. (Snopes link for the curious).
But after confirming that the ritual of folding of the American Flag probably owes more to a desire to treat the flag as special, rather than like a bedsheet, rather than as a tribute to George Washington and John Paul Jones, I have a question.
Is there a special way to fold a state flag? How about a flag from another country? Should one fold other flags into that neat triangle? Or does it not matter?
Any insights, anecdotes, or links to rituals or regulations regarding flags other than the American Flag are welcome.
I was unaware of any special rules for folding any other flag besides the Flag of the USA until I searched today. Apparently, some states have specific rules for folding their state flag. Ohio is one.
I also found this page, which has some general information and rules about Old Glory and the Flag Code.
There’s a description here of the appropriate way to fold the NSW flag. I imagine the same rules apply to the Australian flag. I don’t do anything that fancy when I take down the flag at my mother’s place. I just fold it in half a few times.
The Canadian government website has a lot of information about the Canadian flag, including how to break the flag, which appears to be a way of rolling it up so that you can raise the bundle and then snap it open at the top of the flagpole. I’ve never seen this done anywhere (although I’m American).
I doubt there are any besides that new one for Ohio for state flags, or at least any that would be as well-known as how to fold a US flag. When I was in Boy Scouts we folded other flags (state flag and troop flag mostly) just as a simple rectangle.
I was privileged to watch an Army honor guard fold an American flag at my father’s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. My mom has it now, stored in a triangular display case. Very impressive and solemn ceremony.
I’d say that if you can find specific regulations for the flag, use them; otherwise fold it neatly. Using the triangle method wouldn’t hurt.
The description of how to fold Ohio’s flag is just weird, especially since it’s such a recently made into law technique.
I was going to dismiss your second link as being similar to several others I found on Google, but then I noticed the animated folding of the American flag.
Cunctator,
Thanks, that’s exactly what I was looking for.
Likewise Dewey Finn. This notion of “breaking” a flag is interesting.
asterian, you may well be right. Part of the reason I posted this question was because a quick glance at Google wanted to describe folding the American Flag ad nauseum, and since I know how to do that, it wasn’t very helpful.
I’m sure it was.
At this point, this is a purely theoretical question based on a moment this morning of thinking "OK, so the American flag forms this cute little cocked hat made of blue with white stars. If you folded some other flags this way, they wouldn’t be so nice looking. Hmm, wonder how other flags are supposed to be folded.
Further to this, most countries (including Canada) treat their national flags just as flags, without the extensive ceremony and ritual associated with the US flag (possibly because we have all sorts of other things to lavish ceremony on, such as all the Royal rituals inherited from the Brits). There is a close parallel, however, in the rituals used with Canadian and other countries’ military colours and standards, and I expect that this is the source of much of the US flag ceremony.
For what it’s worth, there is no specific method of folding the Canadian flag, just a general admonishment to treat it in a dignified fashion.
“Breaking” is very common on flags flown at the masthead of ships. The bundled flag can be hauled up without risking entanglement of a wildly flapping flag with rigging, yards, antennas, etc. en route, then broken out at the masthead where it can fly freely.
The Danish flag (Dannebrog - supposedly the oldest national flag in the world) has no official rules for folding, apart from the basic “treat the flag with respect”.
An informal guideline does exist, basically designed to fold & roll the flag so that no part of the white cross is visible. From what I’ve been told, this is due to an entirely practical concern: The red part of the flag doesn’t show dirt as much as the white part, so protecting the latter only makes sense. Folding guideline
Thank you for the explanation of why “breaking” a flag is useful.
Paul in Saudi,
Thanks.
Spiny Norman,
I appreciate the link showing how to convert a Danish flag into an all-red bundle for strictly practical reasons. (Especially given the made-up symbolism I was subjected to yesterday).
naita,
Thanks for looking. And it is helpful to know that as Bookkeeper says not all countries do treat their national flags without elaborate ceremony and ritual.
My former-boy-scout husband says they were taught to fold their flags in such a way that they would unfurl themselves when raised - similar to the “breaking” others have mentioned, but with folds - but he’s pretty sure that was strictly a practical consideration. If the ground is muddy or snow-covered, after all, it’s a handy way to reduce the chance the flag will touch the ground and get dirty.
I notice that Norwegian flags sold for display on balconies or mounted on house walls are generally shipped with the flag attached to the ropes and rolled around the pole - seems to be how most people store them, as well.
It’s practical, yes, but it’s also just lots of fun to hoist up the little pack in a high wind, then one tug, and pop - the wind takes it and there’s your flag, streaming straight out.
My Navarrese flag is about the size of a bedsheet, and I fold it as if it was one. The few times I’ve seen a Spanish flag been put on the mast or taken away, it’s been folded the same way… you try to keep it from touching the floor, but if there’s any rules on how to fold them outside the military I don’t know them.
I think I’ve seen Spanish flags folded into a triangle, with one corner tucked in, during Juras de Bandera (the swearing in ceremony at the end of Instruction).
I learned in the Boy Scouts that this wasn’t just practical, that it’s also disrespectful to allow the American flag to touch the ground. I don’t know if that’s part of the Flag Code or not.
the Venezuelan flag is folded in 3 and then in triangles. The only special provision is that the blue must remain between the red and the yellow and that the yellow should stay on the outside after folding it on triangles.
*§8. Respect for [the] flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States… The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise. *
