Flag Day: One Holiday Too Far?

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | June 14, 2018

No. 1,503

Today is flag day and the Pennsylvania State Courts are closed.  This holiday commemorates the day when the Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes in 1777.  Half-way between Memorial Day and Independence Day, its a national holiday that has never caught on.

Although state courts are closed, relatively few other government offices are. Federal Courts are open. The Post Office is delivering the mail.  My municipality is open for business today.  The clerk I asked about it seemed puzzled by the idea that June 14 was a holiday. Our School District doesn’t mention Flag Day on its calendar. Neither does the the City of Pittsburgh school calendar, which lists today as a snow make-up day.

If you asked ten ten people when Flag Day occurs, it is my guess that you may not find anyone who knows.  And why should they?

Yes, there are parades, a few of them. The National Constitutional Center seems to have the biggest Flag Day celebration in the Country this year.  Otherwise, there is very sparse mention in the media. Nothing appears on page 1 of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, not even a list of the few government offices that are closed. On page two, at the bottom, there is a short mention in the Almanac, which lists historical events that occurred on the date of publication.

Happy Flag Day!

CLT

Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

Subscribe to our feed