In Texas, Every Day is Flag Day

Technically, Flag Day is June 14th, but it’s easy to get the impression that Flag Day is every day here in the state of Texas. The Dallas – Fort Worth region is quite breezy, which makes it easy to express your pride for state and country with proudly waving flags.

Texas State Flag: A Popular Urban Legend

Since moving here, I’ve heard over and over that, “Texas is the only state in the USA allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the US flag.” This, it turns out, is an urban legend, a rather believable one, I must say, but it’s simply not true.

I was a Girl Scout growing up, and thought I knew it all when it came to flag etiquette, but this site spells it all out, and could be used to settle any quibbles you may have about the Texas flag code.

For instance, while it is fine and dandy to fly a state flag just as high as the US flag, the state flag should always be on the left side of Old Glory, which is the viewer’s right.

Got that?

What Are the Six Flags of Texas?

While Six Flags Over Texas is the name of a popular amusement park, it is also true that six different flags have flown over the state of Texas throughout the course of its history.

Every Texan learned which flags these were in school, but the three R’s often get rusty over time. So the next barbecue you attend (and in Texas, barbecues are plentiful) wait until there is a lull in the conversation, then ask your Texan pals if they can name all six flags. Chances are, they’ll get stuck after four or five.

If your smartypants friends actually can remember them, up the ante by seeing who can name the six flags in the proper order from when they each first flew:

Spain (1519-1685; 1690-1821)
France (1685-1690)
Mexico (1821-1836)
Republic of Texas (1836-1845)
US Confederacy (1861-1865)
US Flag (1845-1861; 1865-present)

Easy Way to Remember the Six Flags of Texas

I made up a silly mnemonic device to help me remember this info, which is especially helpful after a margarita or two. Simply envision some wadded up flags in your mind, which will help you remember the phrase: state flags might really crumple up. The first letter of each word matches the first letter of each flag that flew over Texas – in the correct order, too boot. Easy, huh?

As an aside, Idaho is the only state in the union that has never flown a flag other than Old Glory. But that, my friends, is a story for another day. Right now, I need to grab my sunhat and get going; the neighbor has invited us over for a barbecue.

More A to Z blog posts

This was my post for the letter F of the A to Z blogging challenge. Tune in Monday to see what quirky Texan thing the letter G will bring!

In the meantime, click on this link to find out what other A to Z blogging challenge folks are writing about.