Flag Day - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A flag day is a flag

Flag

A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...

-related holiday—either a day designated for flying a certain flag (such as a national flag

National flag

A national flag is a flag that symbolizes a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can also be flown by citizens of the country.Both public and private buildings such as schools and courthouses may fly the national flag...

), or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag.

Flag days are usually codified in national statute

Statute

A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...

s, however, in some countries a decree

Decree

A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...

by the head of state can also order a flag day. The statute or decree may specify locations where flags are flown and how are they flown (for example, at full- or half-staff

Half-staff

Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...

); alternatively, custom may prevail.

Specific flag days

Country/Territory/Continent	Date	Details
Afghanistan	August 19	Independence day, 1919.
Albania	November 28	Independence day, 1912.
Argentina	June 20	Anniversary of the death of Manuel Belgrano Manuel Belgrano Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano , usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano, was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina... , who created the current flag Flag of Argentina The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors... .
Aruba	March 18	Flag day. Adoption of the national flag on March 18, 1976.
Australia	September 3	Australian National Flag Day Flag Day (Australia) In Australia, Australian National Flag Day is celebrated on 3 September. It commemorates the day in 1901 on which the Australian National Flag was first flown. On that day Prime Minister Edmund Barton announced the winners of a competition to design a flag for Australia. A large flag, 5.5 metres... commemorates the first flying of the Australian National Flag Flag of Australia The flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton , and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter... in 1901.
Azerbaijan	November 9	Adoption of executive order on November 17, 2009.
Bolivia	August 17	Flag Day in Bolivia. In conmemoration of the creation of the first national flag.
Brazil	November 19	Flag Day in Brazil, adopted in 1889
Canada Quebec	February 15 January 21	National Flag of Canada Day National Flag of Canada Day Flag Day, officially named National Flag of Canada Day, is observed annually on February 15, commemorating the inauguration of the Flag of Canada on that date in 1965. The day is marked by flying the flag, occasional public ceremonies, and educational programs in schools... commemorates adoption of the Canadian flag Flag of Canada The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag... , Feb. 15, 1965. Québec Flag Day (French: Jour du Drapeau) commemorates the first flying of the flag of Quebec Flag of Quebec The flag of Quebec, called the Fleurdelisé, was adopted for the province by the government of Quebec, during the administration of Maurice Duplessis. It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada, first shown on January 21, 1948, at the Parliament Building of the National Assembly... , January 21, 1948.
Colombia	July 20 August 7	Declaration of Independence Colombian Declaration of Independence Colombian Declaration of Independence refers to the historic events which happened on July 20,1810, in Santa Fe de Bogota, at the time the Viceroyalty of New Granada seceded and the related events around this date that defined the uprising of the Republic of Colombia.- Background :An important... (1810) (Celebrated as National Day) Battle of Boyaca Battle of Boyacá The Battle of Boyacá in Colombia, then known as New Granada, was the battle in which Colombia acquired its definitive independence from Spanish Monarchy, although fighting with royalist forces would continue for years.... (1819)
Curaçao	June 2	"Day of the National Anthem and flag" ("Dia di Himno i Bandera"). Adoption of the national flag on June 2, 1984.
Denmark	June 15	Anniversary of the "Battle of Valdemar" in 1219 at Lyndanisse Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... , Estonia, when according to legend, the flag ("Dannebrog Flag of Denmark The national flag of Denmark, Dannebrog is red with a white Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side... ") fell from the sky. Also, the anniversary of the return of North Slesvig in 1920 to Denmark following the post-World War I plebiscite.
Ecuador	September 26	"Day of the National Flag" ("Dia de la Bandera Nacional"). Date when the tricolor Flag of Ecuador Flag of Ecuador The flag of Ecuador, which consists of horizontal bands of yellow , blue and red, was first adopted on September 26, 1860. The design of the current flag was finalized in 1900 with the addition of the coat of arms in the center of the flag. Before using the yellow, blue and red tricolor, Ecuador... was reinstated in 1860, two days after the Battle of Guayaquil Battle of Guayaquil The Battle of Guayaquil was the final and pivotal armed confrontation of the Ecuadorian Civil War. The battle was fought on the outskirts of the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador on September 22 – 24, 1860 among several factions claiming control of the country's territory in the wake of the abdication of... .
Kingdom of England	April 23	St George's Day St George's Day St George's Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. St George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in AD 303... . the national day of England.
Estonia	June 4	National Flag Day ("Eesti lipu päev"). Date when the Flag of Estonia Flag of Estonia The national flag of Estonia is a tricolour featuring three equal horizontal bands of blue , black, and white. The normal size is 105 × 165 cm... was first consecrated in 1884.
European Union	May 9	Europe Day Europe Day In Europe, Europe Day is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe. There are two separate designations of Europe Day: 5 May for the Council of Europe, and 9 May for the European Union... commemorates the Schuman Declaration Schuman Declaration The Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950 was a governmental proposal by then-French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman to create a new form of organization of States in Europe called a supranational Community. Following the experiences of two world wars, France recognized that certain values such as... .
Finland	Midsummer's Day Midsummer Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on a day between June 21 and June 24, and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different...	Day of Finland's flag ("Suomen lipun päivä" or "Finlands flaggas dag") celebrated annually since 1934.
Faroe Islands	April 25
Greece	October 27	"Ημέρα της σημαίας", (imera tis simeas), Day of the Flag
Haiti	May 18
India	December 7	Armed Forces Flag Day (Festival of the Tricolour) commemorate this day as an honour to the soldiers, airmen and sailors of India.
Israel	January 16	Magen David Star of David The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles... Day symbolizing the official adoption of the flag of Israel Flag of Israel The flag of Israel was adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after the country's establishment. It depicts a blue Star of David on a white background, between two horizontal blue stripes... on this day.
Italy	January 7	Festa del tricolore (Festival of the Tricolour) commemorates adoption of the flag of Italy Flag of Italy The flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white, and red, with the green at the hoist side... in 1797.
Republic of Macedonia	Every 1st and 15th day of each month.	Ден на македонското знаме / Den na makedonskoto zname (Day of the Macedonian flag). Every 1st and 15th day of each month the flag is changed in special ceremony. This celebrates the adoption of the flag.
Mexico	February 24
Moldova	April 27
Norway	May 17	Celebration of the Norwegian constitution, signed on May 17 in 1905. Now, the national day of Norway.
Pakistan	August 11 th	The National Assembly adopted the Flag of Pakistan Flag of Pakistan The national flag of Pakistan was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, just three days before the country's independence, when it became the official flag of the Dominion of Pakistan. It was afterwards retained by the current-day Islamic... on this day.
Peru	June 7	Commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Arica Battle of Arica The Battle of Arica, also known as Assault and Capture of Arica Cape, was a battle in the War of the Pacific. It was fought on 7 June 1880, between the forces of Chile and Peru.... and the sacrifice of Alfonso Ugarte Alfonso Ugarte Alfonso Ugarte was a Peruvian military commander during the War of the Pacific, between Peru and Bolivia against Chile. He ultimately rose to the rank of Colonel.... .
Philippines	May 28	Commemorates the day in 1898 when the flag was first carried into battle during the Philippine Revolution Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August... .
Poland	May 2	Holiday introduced in 2004. Commemorates raising the flag on Siegessäule during the battle of Berlin Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II.... .
Kingdom of Romania	June 26	Holiday introduced in 1998. Celebrates the Decree no. 1 of the Wallachian Provisional Government, making the blue-yellow-red tricolour Flag of Romania The national flag of Romania is a tricolour with vertical stripes: beginning from the flagpole, blue, yellow and red. It has a width-length ratio of 2:3.... the national flag.
Russia	August 22	Commemorates raising the flag of the contemporary design over the Russian Supreme Soviet building White House, Moscow The White House , also known as the Russian White House, is a government building in Moscow. It stands on Krasnopresnenskaya embankment. Construction started in 1965 and ended in 1981. Originally called The House of Soviets, it was designed by the architects Dmitry Chechulin and P. Shteller... after a failed coup d'état attempt in 1991.
Kingdom of Scotland	November 30	St. Andrew's Day St. Andrew's Day St Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew. It is celebrated on 30 November.Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day... , the national day of Scotland.
Sweden	June 6	Day of the Swedish flag ("svenska flaggans dag") since late 19th century, also commemorated as National Day of Sweden since 1983.
Turkmenistan	February 19	Commemorates the adoption of the nation's first flag Flag of Turkmenistan The flag of Turkmenistan was adopted on January 24, 2001.It features a green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to those on the flag of the United Nations; a white waxing crescent moon, typical of... after gaining independence from the Soviet Union
Ukraine	August 23	National Flag Day ("День Державного прапора" ("Den Derzhavnoho prapora")) commemorates the day of the adoption of the Ukrainian flag Flag of Ukraine The flag of Ukraine is the national flag of Ukraine. The national flag was officially adopted for the first time in 1918 by a short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic. At that time the commonly used yellow–blue flag had already turned into blue and yellow and sported a trident in the upper left... .
United States	June 14	Flag Day Commemorates adoption of the U.S. flag Flag of the United States The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows... , June 14, 1777.
Åland Islands	Last Sunday of April	Commemorates adoption of the Åland flag Flag A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...

Specific flag days

See also