How to hang the flag at half-mast properly?

How to fly flags at half-mast on National Mourning Day

According to the provisions of Article 10 of Decree 105/2012/ND-CP on organizing funerals for officials, civil servants and public employees, during the 2-day National Funeral, agencies and offices nationwide, and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad must fly flags at half-mast, wear mourning bands and not organize public entertainment activities.

Accordingly, the way to hang the flag at half-mast is as follows:

- Hang the flag to 2/3 of the height of the flagpole, use black cloth to tie it so that the flag does not fly.

- Black cloth band is 1/10 the size of the flag width, length is the same as the length of the flag

- The flag must be hung in a solemn place to ensure aesthetics.

- The pole used to hang the flag must be an independent flagpole. Do not hang the flag on other poles such as electric poles, antenna poles, etc.

- The flag must not be faded or stained.

In addition, when placing a flag indoors, the flagpole can be adjusted in length depending on the space, but the flag must not touch the ground.

The meaning of flying the flag at half-mast

Flying a flag at half-mast or half-staff is a custom dating back to the 17th century, which refers to the flag flying below the top of a ship's mast, a land flagpole, or a building's flagpole. In many countries, this is considered a symbol of respect, mourning, or grief.

Accordingly, when hanging a flag at half-mast, people usually raise the flag high and then lower it, leaving a space above the flag.

In Vietnam, the flag is flown at half-mast during national mourning or when the country is in great trouble to express the nation's respect and condolences to those who have passed away.