Common Myths About The American Flag

As we approach the patriotic holiday, here are some of the most widely held beliefs about the American flag.

Getty / Matthew Lloyd

Red, white and blue don't symbolize American sacrifice. Officially, the colors don't mean anything at all. They were picked because the first flag of the colonies had the same colors.

It was never a tradition to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Congress...they've only been doing it in the House for 25 years, and only since '99 in the Senate. Of course, they did it for political reasons during the Bush-Dukakis campaign.

Getty / David Livingston

It's NOT patriotic to wear the flag on your clothes. The U.S. Flag Code says you're not supposed to sell or display anything that has an image of the flag on it. The Code isn't enforceable by law....you may THINK you're being patriotic, but the Code says it's disrespectful.

(Guess Old Navy is gonna have to come up with some new designs...am I right?)