Pledge Of Allegiance Day
Pledge Of Allegiance Day
Celebrated annually on 28th December, Pledge Of Allegiance Day is commemorated in memory of the day when the Congress incorporated the pledge into the Flag Code of the US.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2020 | 28th December | Monday | United States |
2021 | 28th December | Tuesday | United States |
2022 | 28th December | Wednesday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#PledgeOfAllegianceDay
Related: Other National Days Celebrated on December 28th:
Why Pledge Of Allegiance Day
Words have the power to create or destroy, weaken or revive. The carefully crafted words of the pledge of allegiance encapsulate the essence of one’s loyalty to the country. The Pledge of allegiance is recited by every American who strives to uphold the values of freedom and fraternity which was built on the sacrifices of men, women and children over the centuries.
The Balch pledge which was used before the pledge of allegiance was created by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Civil War veteran and a teacher of patriotism. The Balch pledge was adopted by the many schools, the Grand Army of the Republic and by the Daughters of the American Revolution until 1923.
With the dwindling patriotism in the 90s, the leaders of the new movement felt that a patriotic education in schools is the path to rekindle the flames of patriotism in the young generation. James B Upham, an editor of the Youth Companion magazine promoted the September 8th Columbus day event and encouraged students to raise the American flags in their schools.
Francis Bellamy who was the assistant editor of the Youth’s companion along with Upham gained support from the National Education Association to fund the celebration. They also arranged for the proclamation by President Benjamin Harrison announcing the public school flag ceremony as the central event of Columbus day celebration.
Bellamy felt that the Balch pledge was not sufficient to convey a dominant idea alongside the flag ceremony and he started to work on this aspect. After the approval from Upham and the members of the Youth’s magazine, the pledge of allegiance created by Bellamy was incorporated into the Columbus Day programme.
The pledge of allegiance evolved throughout the years. The term “my flag” was replaced with “the flag of the United States of America” by the National Flag conference to avoid the dilemma that these words could induce in an immigrant regarding the loyalties to their birthplace and the US.
After the official recognition of the pledge by the government in 1942, the Jehovah Witnesses challenged the custom of pledge recitation and salute practised in schools in 1943 as it was against their religious beliefs. The supreme court ruled in their favour as the rule would violate the first and fourteenth amendments.
In 1954 president Dwight D Eisenhower recommended the addition of the term “under God” in the pledge. This addition was challenged by a Michael Newdow who claimed that by insisting the usage of this term the first amendment is violated. He filed multiple lawsuits in the years 1998,2000 and 2005. On May 9th, 2014 the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts put the accusation to rest by stating that the words “under God” does not signify a religious disposition and is only a patriotic exercise. While patriotism cannot be forced by words or deeds, this day reminds us to think about our role as citizens and the responsibility we have to the country we inhabit.
How Can We Observe Pledge Of Allegiance Day:
- Seek ye the History
Dig into the history and details of the Pledge of Allegiance to understand the depth and breadth of the freedom you enjoy today.
- Recite the Pledge
The best way to celebrate this day is to join your family and friends in the recitation of your allegiance to the country
- Rekindle the Flames
Post photos and videos of your celebration using #PledgeOfAllegianceDay. Let the flame of patriotism shine through you.
Interesting Facts On Pledge Of Allegiance Day
- Since the creation of the Pledge in 1892, 5 official versions have been released.
- The Congress approved the Hand-over-Heart-sign as the official salute and the Bellamy salute was rejected as it resembled the Nazi salute.
- The Authorship of the pledge was claimed by James B Upham and Francis Bellamy. Bellamy was finally credited with the authorship.
- Bellamy considered adding the terms equality and fraternity to the pledge but withdrew the idea due to the prejudice against women and African-Americans by his committee members.
History Of Pledge Of Allegiance Day:
The Pledge of allegiance day was first celebrated on the 28th December 1942 when it was officially recognized by the Congress.