Flag Day

為紀念1777年6月14日在第二次制憲會議上美國國旗的采用，1949年8月3日，美國國會批準了63 Stat. 492號聯合議案，將每年的6月14日定為國旗日。每年的這一天，在美利堅的國土上隨處可見星條旗飄揚，全美各地都會舉行紀念活動，以示對國旗的敬意。

Americans not only celebrate their Independence Day on July 4th， they commemorate[紀念，慶祝] the adoption[采用] of the American flag on Flag Day.

Flag Day falls on June 14 every year. The flag of the U.S. represents freedom and has been an enduring symbol of the country’s ideals since the flag was adopted in 1777. American people celebrate by displaying the American flag outside homes and public buildings. It’s remarkable to see the star-spangled banner—a nickname of the American flag—lined uniformly[清一色地] outside rows of houses. The red-white-and-blue American flags surely keep reminding me that I am standing on American soil[土地].

If you visit historic sites in America on Flag Day， such as military academies， national monuments and cemeteries[公墓]， you may see some flag-raising ceremonies， another popular way of observing this holiday. Some American neighborhoods will hold musical salutes and street parades， and quizzes and essay competitions about the American flag will take place at schools. Even the U.S. President or military officers will announce awards given to veteran solders on Flag Day for special recognition.

I notice Americans are very proud of their national flag. Not only on Flag Day but also on normal days， they hang up the American flag or artwork of the American flag to decorate everything from restaurant entrances to motor bikes and the windows of their homes. You can see the image of the flag on handbags， suitcases， scarves and furniture.

I initially wondered if all this displaying of the American flag was too much patriotism. But the more I’m exposed to American culture， I realize it’s no different from the mandatory flag-raising ceremony of the Chinese flag at schools in China every Monday morning. American schools don’t have a weekly flag-raising ceremony， but American people have their own way to honor the American flag.

Like the Chinese national flag， the design of the American flag is symbolic. The American flag has 13 red and white stripes， representing the original 13 colonies. In the upper left corner is a blue rectangle bearing 50 small， white， five-pointed stars， representing the 50 states. Well， if you’re interested in learning about the symbols on other national flags， you can get an atlas[地圖集] of the world. It tells you all about the stories behind each flag.