Ethnography of the American Flag

In America there is a religious totem held above all else. It is a piece of square cloth with thirteen red and white lines and 50 stars that they place on a pole over their heads. They honor their flag in almost every aspect of their lives. They are placed at national shrines, cathedrals, outside homes and inside of every classroom. Every the morning in schools all across the nation children are required to pray to the flag and pledge their loyalty. In it is raised every morning outside the school and then taken down at the end of the day. A smaller version also hangs in most classrooms for the children to gaze at with pride. Before undertaking in major event the Americans stop and serenade their flag, before sports games, ceremonies and speeches. Many loyal followers hang them outside their home. The American flag is an extremely cherished totem that represents the United States and is at the center of one of America’s most respected rituals.
Because the flag is such an honored symbol there is a specific ritual for disposing of the flag in a dignified way that all American’s follow so as not to desecrate the flag. Doing anything other than this ritual is considered to be sacrilege and disrespectful of the flag. The flag must be respectfully retired it cannot be placed on the ground or have anything placed on top of it. As the flag is disposed of all viewers must show respect to the flag by saluting or by a moment of silence. The leader of the ceremony says the honorable words “I will cut out the Union of the Flag, and when the Union is gone, the Flag is no longer a Flag” (Flag Etiquette). Alongside the leader of the ceremony there are thirteen helpers representing the thirteen colonies. They come up to the flag in order of the co...

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...ered above all else. The American flag will forever be an iconic totem in the country’s civil religion and the ritualization of its retiring only proves that. Even though the flag and what it represents are continuously taken for granted most Americans will continue to respect it above all else through their words and actions.

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"Flag Etiquette." Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Sons of the American Revolution, 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
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Streufert, Duane. "Flag Etiquette." USFlag. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.