Celebrate Flag Day by brushing up on American flag etiquette

Many Americans choose to display the American flag outside their homes, on bumper stickers and even on t-shirts. But what does the U.S. Flag Code say about proper flag etiquette?

The National Flag Code was created in 1923 and was distributed nationwide.

The code became Public Law in 1942 and became the U.S. Flag Code we know today.

The U.S. Flag Code lays out the ways to display and respect the Flag of the United States.

Here are some of the guidelines for flag etiquette according to the U.S. Flag Code: 

The flag should not be on display outdoors during bad weather

The flag should not be used for advertising purposes or embroidered on cushions, handkerchiefs napkins, or boxes

The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery

It should never be displayed upside down unless trying to convey a sign of distress or great danger

The flag should never touch anything beneath it; this includes water, merchandise and even the floor

The U.S. Flag Code also says that the flag should be displayed in or near every schoolhouse, polling place and public institution

The American flag has a long history and stands as a symbol of freedom in the nation.

Fun facts about the flag:

The current design of the flag is the twenty-seventh version

Red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice

Nicknames for the flag include Old Glory, Stars and Stripes and the Star-Spangled Banner

There have been six American flag planted on the moon