Flag Etiquette: Flags Fly Half-Staff for September 11th Tributes

Flags across the United States will fly at half mast today in tribute to the September 11th 2001 attacks, but why do people do this and what is the proper etiquette for flying a flag at half staff?

Flags began to be flown at half-mast or half-staff centuries ago to show, respect, mourning or distress. It is only half way up the flagpole to allow for the invisible flag of death to be flown at the top of the pole.

When a flag is flown at half-mast, it should be raised to the top of the pole, then lowered down and the same applies when taking the flag down, it should be raised to the top first and then taken down.

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American Sunset ~Faded Dreams~

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Half-mast usually refers to a flag aboard a ship, so the term half-staff is more commonly used now.

Proper US etiquette for displaying the flag in any situation.

On September 11th 2006, then President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush stood on an American Flag carpet at Ground Zero and this was actually a flag violation as the Flag Code says that no part of the flag should touch anything beneath it, such as the ground.

Every country has its own rules for flying their flag at half-staff. In the United States: