Five federal observances create recurring half-staff dates each year. Each has its own history, authority, and display rule.
Open a day-specific guide for its meaning, historical background, legal authority, and practical flag-display instructions.
Not always. Some displays are established directly by the U.S. Flag Code or another federal law. Patriot Day and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day statutes request annual presidential proclamations, while other recurring observances operate under standing statutory authority.
Yes. Most of these observances use sunrise to sunset, but Memorial Day is different: the flag is displayed at half-staff only until noon and then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.
Yes. A presidential or state order may overlap a recurring day and may provide different dates or local instructions. Mast shows active federal and state orders together so those details can be checked against their official sources.