Remember Flag Day: It may not be the biggest holiday, but it celebrates one of America's most unifying symbols

The U.S. flag may be the country's nation’s 'most enduring symbol.' (Adobe Stock photo)

Today is Flag Day, which may leave some asking questions: What is Flag Day? Where did it start? And how is it different from July 4th? 

Flag Day originated in tiny Waubeka, Wisconsin, population 657. "This unincorporated Wisconsin town about 35 miles north of Milwaukee takes the day seriously," report Teresa Crawford and John O'Connor of The Associated Press. "After all, it lays claim to being the birthplace of Flag Day, thanks to a tenacious teacher in a one-room schoolhouse."

Flag Day is set aside to be a day of national pride and focuses on commemorating the historic events of June 14, 1777, "when the Continental Congress determined the composition of the nation's banner: '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," Crawford and O'Connor explain. "President Woodrow Wilson issued a 1916 proclamation of June 14 as Flag Day, and in 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed the formal observance into law."

Flag day is different from Independence Day because July 4th celebrates our division from England and the country's birth. Flag Day reveres the solidification of the iconic American flag, which, from 1777 through the present, is a symbol of national unity.

Waubeka, Wisconsin, celebrates Flag Day with an old-fashioned parade complete with candy toss-outs, rows of tractors and emergency service vehicles replete with red, white and blue. But the fun doesn't stop there. Crawford and O'Connor add, "Along with the parade, the bands, the patriotism awards, the military honor guards . . . The celebration includes an annual essay contest and draws entries from across the nation — this year from New York to Nevada and Wisconsin to Texas."

Among this year's essay entrants, Neel Sood, a 4th grader from Bridgewater, N.J., wrote, "The stars and stripes 'represent a nation where immigrants like my grandparents are welcomed, where diversity is celebrated and where justice is present for all,'" AP reports. "Ryan Spang from Adell, Wisconsin, wrote, 'The American flag represents unity. We are one nation, united by our similarities and differences. We support people in our communities in times of need, and we cheer them on in times of achievement.'"

To learn more about Flag Day's history and meet Waubeka's parade "mascot" -- a delightful Jack Russell terrier with the most patriotic stance and cutest hat -- click here.