What does a folded flag mean in the military?

What does a folded flag mean in the military?

Here is what each fold of the flag means: The first fold symbolizes life. The second fold represents a belief in eternal life. The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans who gave their lives in defense of the country in order to help attain peace throughout the world.

How do you fold a flag for a veteran?

In the U.S. Armed Forces, at the ceremony of retreat, the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle fold and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation’s honored dead.

Why are military flags folded in a triangle?

The flag gets folded into a triangle because it is actually meant to resemble a tri-cornered hat, like the ones worn by George Washington and other soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

What does a Canadian flag at half-mast mean?

The decision to fly the flag at half-mast on federal buildings rests with the Department of Canadian Heritage. Federally, the national flag of Canada is flown at half-mast to mark the following occasions: Occasion or date. Protocol or significance. The death of the sovereign.

Who gets the folded flag at a military funeral?

Who is presented with the military burial flag? At the funeral, the flag is presented to the deceased’s next of kin. The next of kin is the person who is most closely related to the veteran. After receiving the flag, it is tradition among the family members to preserve for display in the house, usually in a frame.

Can you unfold a military funeral flag?

Although some people feel that a flag used to drape a casket should not be unfolded after it has been folded at graveside, it is actually proper—if desired—to unfold and then display a burial flag. It is entirely up to the next of kin who received the flag at the burial.

How many times is the flag folded at a military funeral?

After Taps is played, the flag is carefully folded into the symbolic tricorn shape. A properly proportioned flag will fold 13 times on the triangles, representing the 13 original colonies. The folded flag is emblematic of the tricorn hat worn by the patriots of the American Revolution.

When can the Canadian flag be flown at half-mast?

As per the Rules for Half-masting the National Flag of Canada (Section 11). When half-masting occurs at the National War Memorial or a place where remembrance is being observed, the half-masting can occur at 11:00 a.m. (or according to the prescribed order of service) until sunset.

Does the oldest son get the flag at a military funeral?

The military will consider the following order of succession for receiving the burial flag to determine the flag recipient: Spouse. Children, oldest first.

How is the flag folded at military funerals?

The ceremonial folding and presentation of the flag is a tribute of lasting importance to our service members, veterans and their families. The flag is draped on a closed casket so that the union blue field is at the head and over the left shoulder of the deceased.