Will County Gazette

Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Bourbonnais) recently took a moment to pay tribute to Pledge of Allegiance Day.

Haas said that the day celebrates the acceptance of the pledge into the United States Flag Code.

“Today is Pledge of Allegiance Day, commemorating the official adoption of the pledge into the United States Flag Code," Haas wrote in a Facebook post.

The National Day Calendar reports that Pledge of Allegiance Day is commemorated annually on Dec. 28. Congress officially recognized the date in 1945. while Francis Bellamy is attributed as the author of The Pledge, the words were first published uncredited in 1892 in 'The Youth’s Companion' magazine.

“It was written in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America,” The National Day Calendar said. “In 1923 and 1924, the National Flag Conference inserted text of the pledge into legislation. Though modifications were made, the pledge remained nearly the same.  At the same time, the conference didn’t designate it as the official pledge.”

The United States Flag Code defines appropriate management of the flag, such as not allowing it to touch the ground, according to Cornell Law School.

“No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing,” Cornell Law School states. “Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.”

Wide Open Country reports that several states have their own pledges of allegiance, but Illinois does not.

“Many Americans may be unaware that their state has an official pledge to the state flag,” Wide Open Country reports. “Seventeen states across the nation possess official state flag pledges, separate from the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.”