United States Flag Day

NORWALK — In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated today. Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Flag Resolution, passed on June 14, 1777, stated: "Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." The largest flag: The American flag at the Norwalk VFW is listed as the largest masted flying flag in the world. According to measurements provided by the VFW in 2009, the 52-by-87-foot flag flies on a 157-foot pole and the whole setup weighs seven tons. The ball on top is two-and-a-half basketballs wide. The flag itself weighs 125 pounds, and each of the stripes is four feet tall. The stars are four foot square. Norwalk Furniture workers spent 104 hours and several miles of thread to put the flag together in the late 1990s. The flag normally flies on holidays and special occasions. The most expensive flag: The most expensive flag sold at an auction is an American Revolutionary War battle flag from 1776, the year the US declared its independence. The item went to an anonymous buyer on June 14, 2006 for $12,336,000, including buyer's premium, at Sotheby's in New York. How to properly fold a flag: Fold the flag in half, widthwise. Fold the flag in half widthwise again. Fold the striped right corner over to meet the left edge. Fold the striped left corner over to meet the left edge. Continue folding the corner over until you have a triangularly folded flag.