Make Arbors Sparkle on the Fourth
Jul 1st, 2010 by Kathy
The Fourth of July is this weekend, so get your grills ready, set up those picnic tables, and reserve your favorite Adirondack chair; and don’t forget to set a place of honor for your most distinguished guest, Old Glory.
Although we’ve already covered some of the rules for displaying and handling it properly, there are still many more. One states that the flag should never serve as a drapery, such as would be put over a speaker’s desk, or a platform, or be used as any decoration in general.
The flag should never be used in advertising, nor have any advertising signs attached to its staff. It shouldn’t be embroidered, printed, or otherwise impressed on anything, such as a handkerchief, napkin, or cushion, that’s designed to be used briefly, and then discarded.
Furthermore, the flag should not be used as clothing, or as any part of a costume, or athletic uniform. However, flag patches can be used on the uniforms of firefighters, police officers, and members of the military and patriotic organizations.
There should never be any kind of mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, number, symbol, or drawing put on the flag, or attached to it. Moreover, it must never be used as a receptacle for holding, carrying, receiving, or delivering anything.
Apparently, we’ve really strayed from the original tenets of respect for the flag. After all, it’s used in decorations all the time; in fact, everywhere we look this weekend, we’ll be seeing glaring examples in items such as flag tablecloths, placemats, and napkins.
Certainly, there are tons of red, white, and blue decorations that are perfectly acceptable, even if they have stars or stripes on them, because they don’t depict the actual flag. There are streamers, balloons, pinwheels, candles, paper and plastic plates, glasses, and utensils, and much more. You’ll also find red, white, and blue bunting for doorways, porches, balconies, and gazebos (when you hang it, make sure that the blue is on top).
You can also use it as a runner for your outdoor dining table, set over a plain, white tablecloth. To make it more striking, use solid red napkins, solid blue plates, and utensils in all three colors. If you don’t want a runner, sprinkle the tablecloth with red, white, and blue glitter, and top it with another, clear tablecloth.
Put red, white, and blue flowers into vases of the same colors for centerpieces, or get some red geraniums, white impatiens, and blue salvia in containers, from a nursery, and group them together in planters. Place red and blue candles on white trays; they’ll look great in the daytime, and add a festive glow after dark.
Truly, after the sun goes down, you’ll really want things to sparkle, so don’t forget to decorate gazebos, arbors, pergolas, trellises, and trees with red, white, and blue twinkle lights. For an extra-special touch, get red and blue bulbs for your outdoor lamps and lanterns.
Indeed, there are hundreds of ways to bring patriotic colors to your Independence Day party, while displaying the flag in a proper place.
Of course, that rule about not using the flag in decorations is not the only one that’s been stretched to the limit over the years. How about the one that prohibits its use in clothing and costumes? I mean, that ship sailed a long time ago.
Just for starters, I think Uncle Sam has got some ‘splainin’ to do.
Yours Outdoors,
Kathy
