Why are flags flown at half-staff in times of mourning? (2025)

Why are flags flown at half-staff in times of mourning? (1)

How did the tradition of flying the flag at half-staff get started?

It's tough to say, but the oldest commonly accepted reference to a half-staff flag dates back to 1612, when the captain of the British ship Heart's Ease died on a journey to Canada. When the ship returned to London, it was flying its flag at half-mast to honor the departed captain.

Why would these sailors lower their flag to honor their departed captain?

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Why are flags flown at half-staff in times of mourning? (2)

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According to one line of scholarly thinking, by lowering the Union Jack, the sailors were making room for the invisible flag of Death. This explanation jibes with the British tradition of flying a "half-staff" flag exactly one flag's width lower than its normal position to underscore that Death's flag is flapping above it.

How long is the flag flown at half-staff in the United States?

It depends on whom the nation is mourning. Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7 of the United States Code outlines strict guidelines for how long the flag is flown at half-staff following the deaths of various members of the government. The death of a current or former president lowers the flag for 30 days, while the current vice president, chief justice of the Supreme Court, and Speaker of the House receive 10 days of half-staff flying following their deaths. Flags fly at half-staff from the day of death until the date of interment for cabinet secretaries, associate justices of the Supreme Court, former vice presidents, and the governors of states. The death of a current member of Congress lowers the flag to half-staff on the day of death and following day.

Does the president have any leeway when he's making these orders?

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Yes. The president can make an executive order lowering the flag to half-mast to honor the passing of other important figures or tragic events. For example, President George W. Bush ordered the flags flown at half-staff until the interment of Pope John Paul II. With national tragedies, the length of time seems to be a bit more arbitrary. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush ordered the flag be flown at half-staff until September 16, 2001. The Indian Ocean earthquake and resulting tsunamis in 2004 prompted flags to be flown at half-staff from a Monday through the end of the following Friday.

What days is the flag always flown at half-staff?

The flag always flies on half-staff on Patriot Day (Sept. 11 of each year), Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15), and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Dec. 7). On Memorial Day, the flag flies at half-staff until noon, at which point it is raised to the top of the staff.

What if I can't fly my flag at half-staff?

Some flags, like the ones commonly seen in school classrooms or on houses, are fixed in a certain position on their poles. How does one handle the sticky situation of a flag that physically can't be flown at half-staff? The United States Code doesn't cover this conundrum, but the American Legion advocates adding a black ribbon to the top of the flag's pole to indicate mourning.

Can anyone other than the president order flags to be flown at half-staff?

Sure. Governors of states, territories, and possessions have the authority under the federal flag code to order a half-staffing, as does the mayor of Washington, D.C. It's not uncommon for a local mayor to order a half-staffing following the death of some prominent citizen, and occasionally businesses will half-staff their flags to honor the passing of a member of the company. Technically, these sorts of half-staffings aren't covered by the federal flag code. There's no penalty for breaking the federal flag code, though, so it's generally no big deal if a local leader wants to honor a prominent citizen in this way.

How does one raise a flag to half-staff?

Surprisingly, not just by raising it halfway up the flagpole. To properly fly a flag at half-staff in mourning, one quickly raises the flag to the peak of the pole before slowly lowering it back down to the half-staff position.

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Why are flags flown at half-staff in times of mourning? (2025)

FAQs

Why are flags flown at half-staff in times of mourning? ›

What is the significance of displaying the flag at half-staff? This gesture is a sign to indicate the nation mourns the death of an individual(s), such as death of the president or former president, vice president, Supreme Court justice, member of Congress, secretary of an executive or military department, etc.

Why are the flags at half-staff in the US? ›

In most cases, an American flag flying at half-staff marks one of three observances: The death of a government official, military member, or emergency first responder. A national tragedy. Memorial Day or another national day of remembrance.

Why are flags at half-staff on May 15, 2024? ›

On Peace Officers Memorial Day and during Police Week, we recognize the incredible courage of our Nation's police officers and honor the fallen heroes, whose ultimate sacrifice we can never repay.

Why are flags flown at half-mast when someone dies? ›

At the most basic level, the flag is a symbol of national mourning or remembrance. It's most frequently flown at half-staff when a national figure dies, but it can also be lowered as a sign of sympathy or support for foreign nations going through periods of mourning.

Can you fly a flag at half-mast for personal reasons? ›

No. According to the Flag Code, only the president of the US or your state governor can order the US flag lowered to half-staff. You can half-staff your school flag. You can also display black crepe near the entrance to the building, perhaps with a photograph of the former student.

Should you fly your flag at half-mast on Memorial Day? ›

On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation's battle heroes.

Where is the US flag never flown at half-staff? ›

The only place where the flag is never flown at half-mast – is the moon. By the way, the toughest moonwalk task may well have been planting that flag. NASA's studies suggested that the lunar soil was soft, but astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin found the surface to be a thin wisp of dust… over hard rock.

Is it disrespectful to fly a casket flag? ›

Can a flag that has covered a casket be displayed after its original use? There are no provisions in the Flag Code to suggest otherwise. It would be a fitting tribute to the memory of the deceased veteran and his or her service to a grateful nation if the casket flag is displayed.

What's the difference between half-mast and half-staff? ›

If you are on a ship, that pole on which the flag flies is called a mast. So for ships lowering their flags to honor the death of a government official, it's appropriately called "half-mast." If that pole is stuck in the ground or attached to a building, then it is "half-staff." Either way, it means the same thing.

What does a black flag mean death? ›

Black flags are often associated with funerals in the West, particularly state funerals and public mourning. In the former Yugoslavia, a plain black flag is the flag of mourning. It is displayed for 40 days after death on the deceased person's house.

Is it illegal to fly a flag at night without a light? ›

Traditional guidelines call for displaying the flag in public only from sunrise to sunset. However, the flag may be displayed at all times if it's illuminated during darkness.

Can you unfold a military funeral flag? ›

Normally, you should maintain the flag folded.

Why are there 50 stars on the American flag but 52 states? ›

It is widely known that the 50 stars on the flag of the United States represent the states themselves. When the Stars and Stripes was adopted in 1777 there were 13 states (then colonies), thus a 13-star flag, and as each new state was admitted to the union a star was added to the flag.

Why is the flag at half-mast today, July 21, 2024? ›

Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #235 ordering the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sun., July 21, 2024, in honor of Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Jerald David “Jerry” Slack, who passed away on May 18, 2024, at the age of 78.

Why are flags at half-mast on July 18, 2024? ›

July 18, 2024 - Half-Staff Alert - Louisiana

Governor Jeff Landry signed an Executive Order to fly flags at half-staff for Corey Comperatore who was killed at a Pennsylvania rally for Donald J. Trump. The flags of the United States and the Stat …

What is the flag status today in Texas? ›

The Texas flag is at full-staff today.

Note that when the flag is to be displayed at half-staff, the flag should first be raised briskly to full-staff and then lowered slowly to half-staff.

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