Page:What to do for Uncle Sam; a first book of citizenship (IA whattodoforuncle00bail).pdf/81

Rh the twenty-sixth day of November, to be a day of Thanksgiving."

Uncle Sam has not varied much from this form of Proclamation since Washington’s time. He wants you to go to church on Thanksgiving Day. He would like you to make somebody thankful, through your kindness, even if it is only a stray dog who needs a bone, or an old truck horse whose checkrein you loosen so he can get a drink. When you reach home, the turkey and pumpkin pie will be waiting there for you.

For a long time Washington’s Birthday was the legal holiday when flags were raised from all public buildings. But Uncle Sam grows to love the Stars and Stripes more deeply every year. June 14, 1894, he celebrated his first Flag Day which has been one of our National holidays ever since.

The Pilgrims sailed to America under the English flag, red, white and blue, but with its bars crossed in the center, and having no stars. For a while the colonists of New England used a red flag with a green pine tree on a white ground in the corner. Then they put in thirteen red and white stripes and the British colors in the corner. But Uncle Sam’s present flag was made in Washington’s time. It was like our present day flag except that it had only thirteen white stars in a circle on the blue field.