meaning of stars and stripes on american flag
Flag of the United States The flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the American flag, is the national flag of the United States. It consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S.[1] Nicknames for the flag include The Stars and Stripes,[2] Old Glory,[3] and The Star-Spangled Banner.
Polka dot It is likely that the term originated in popularity of polka dance at the time the pattern became fashionable, just as many other products and fashions of the era also adopted the "polka" name.[1]
Paris Peace Accords
Half-mast In the United States, the usual government term for non-nautical use is "half-staff." While the term "half-mast" is commonly used in place of half-staff, U.S. law and post-WW-I military tradition indicate that "half-mast" is reserved to usage aboard a ship, where flags are typically flown from masts, and at naval ships ashore.[54][55] Elsewhere ashore, flags are flown at "half-staff." In addition, flags are lowered to half-staff, not raised.[56]