National Loyalty Day
National Loyalty Day is a holiday on which American freedom is recognized, and American citizens are encouraged to reaffirm their loyalty to the U.S. It has been a day set aside continuously every year by each U.S. President since the late 1950s. It is a day on which people are expected to raise flags, reflect on their American heritage, and ponder the nation’s founding principles and the enduring traditions of freedom and democracy. It is also a day on which people are encouraged to give thanks to members and former members of the U.S. military for their service to the country.
United States (Observance)The History Of National Loyalty Day
National Loyalty Day was observed for the first time in 1921, except it was known as Americanization Day. Americanization Day was a holiday that was founded to counterbalance the Communist celebration of Labor Day on May 1st.
In July of 1958, the U.S. Congress established Loyalty Day by passing Public Law 85-529. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower then issued an official proclamation of the holiday on May 1, 1959. This was the first official observance of this holiday. Ever since then, every U.S. President has observed this holiday.
Every year, each U.S. President puts their unique spin on the holiday. For example, when Richard Nixon made his first Loyalty Day proclamation, he used it as a moment to talk about individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and what it means to future American generations. In 1981, Ronald Reagan used his National Loyalty Day speech to talk about diversity and the importance of American unity.
Observing National Loyalty Day
Anyone who wants to observe National Loyalty Day can do so in a number of different ways. They can learn more about American history, they can educate themselves on the issues that affect the U.S. and its citizens, and they can exercise their right to vote. They can also take the time out of their day to thank members and former members of the U.S. military for their service. If they don’t personally know any U.S. service members, then they can use the hashtag #NationalLoyaltyDay to give a shout-out to all serving and formerly serving U.S. service members.
National Loyalty Day is also celebrated at various locations all over the U.S. Although it would be beyond the scope of this holiday entry to discuss every single National Loyalty Day parade or event that’s held on this day, we can cover some of the ones that have been running for quite some time. So without further ado, below are some of the National Loyalty Day events and parades we’d like to mention.
National Loyalty Day Events Locations:
- Rutland, Virginia
- Standish, Michigan
- New Lenox, Illinois
- Norfolk, Nebraska
- El Paso, Texas
- Freedom, Wisconsin
United States (Observance)
