Run It Up the Flagpole Day (Jan 2)
Check out the weird holiday Run It Up the Flagpole and See If They Salute Day on Jan 2. Learn the history of Run It Up the Flagpole and See If They Salute Day, as well as get ideas on how to celebrate.
One weird holiday on January 2 is Run It Up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes It Day. Check out the other weird January holidays!
History of Run It Up the Flagpole Day
Run It Up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes It Day truly is a strange holiday! It brings to mind pranks from summer camp or school, like running someone’s underwear on top of the flagpole. But to quote one of my favorite movies: “I do not think it means what you think it means.”
The idiom actually stems from the 1950s in the United States, and it refers to sharing an idea with a trusted friend or two and see if they also think it’s a good idea before you submit it up the corporate food chain. A similar saying is, “Throw it to the wall and see if anything sticks” (which comes from testing to see if pasta has finished cooking).
The saying started being used frequently in advertising in New York, but then comedians latched onto it. Soon this phrase became a comedic punchline rather than a legitimate advertising idea.
We’re not quite sure how it became an actual holiday, but it’s a great day to test out new ideas with the start of a new year!
Ideas to Celebrate Run It Up the Flagpole Day
Other than sharing your ideas with a friend or colleague, we’ve got some fun ways to celebrate the day.
American Flag Cootie Catcher Printable - Red Ted Art - Make crafting with kids easy & fun
For Run It Up the Flagpole Day, design your own cootie catcher and writing your own questions! You can fill it with questions and answers about your ideas!
DIY American Flag Craft for 4th of July
Remind yourself that it's Run It Up the Flagpole Day with these very simple American Flag crafts witha tongue depressor flagpole! You could actually use any flag you want.
Color By Number American Flag (Free Printable!)
A very simple activity for young kids to do on Run It Up the Flagpole Day is to do this free printable Color By Number American Flag.
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