Every Memorial Day, millions of Americans proudly display the U.S. flag outside their homes, businesses, and community buildings. Yet many people unknowingly break one of the most important Memorial Day flag etiquette rules without realizing it. Unlike other patriotic holidays, Memorial Day has a unique flag protocol that specifically requires the American flag to be flown at half-staff only until noon before being raised to full-staff for the rest of the day. Veterans groups and flag experts say this mistake happens constantly because many Americans either leave the flag at full-staff all day or keep it lowered from sunrise to sunset. Understanding the proper Memorial Day flag etiquette is about more than following tradition—it is about honoring fallen service members with the respect the day was intended to carry.
