Covid-19 Friendly Ways to Celebrate Navy Day in 2021

WHY WE LOVE NAVY DAY

Pursuant to §6 of the U.S. Flag Code, Navy Day is one of the official times and occasions to display your American Flag with pride. Navy Day is a gentle reminder that freedom is not free. Thanks to our heroes in uniform, conflicts between nations or enemy threats rarely touch our nation’s soil or splash our shores.

Two weeks from the official Navy Birthday, we love Navy Day because it is yet another opportunity to recognize Naval service members and their dedication to our country. We are thankful for the sacrifices of the men and women of America’s armed forces for answering the call of duty as they work together to protect and serve our great nation on land, at sea, and by air.  

NAVY DAY - A BRIEF HISTORY

It may surprise you that Navy Day was last officially observed in 1949, when the first Secretary of Defense, Louis A. Johnson, announced that Armed Forces Day (the 3rd Saturday in May) would officially replace Navy Day commencing in 1950.

Navy Day was first celebrated in 1922 by the Navy League of the United States as a day to honor the men we call sailors. At the time, October 27 was considered by many to be the birthday of the United States Navy, because of a document presented to the Continent Congress in 1775 that supported the purchase of a fleet of merchant ships to form an American colonial navy. October 27 is also the birthday of one of the Navy’s most ardent supporters, President Theodore Roosevelt, who served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Between 1922 and 1949. The U.S. Navy participated in Navy Day each year by dispatching ships to various U.S. ports where public celebrations were held.

In 1970, research by naval historians determined the authentic birth date of the United States Navy was actually October 13, 1775. Consequently, the Navy’s birthday was officially changed from October 27 to October 13. Despite the official change, Navy Day continues to be widely celebrated on October 27, after being deeply entrenched into Navy tradition for more than a quarter–century.

3 WAYS TO OBSERVE NAVY DAY COVID-19 STYLE

1. Briskly hoist your American Flag, with pride, in honor of all those who serve and have served in the Naval Forces.

2. Take a minute to say “thank you for your service” to those who dedicated their careers to protecting our freedom, 2021 style. A Facebook or Instagram post with the hashtags #navy #navyday or #navyflags can make a real difference to a sailor scrolling through their feed.

3. Use some nautical jargon throughout the day:

5 NAUTICAL TERMS LANDLUBBERS SHOULD KNOW

1. Above Board -This term is based on a pirate ruse used to lure unsuspecting vessels. The pirate captain and several of the crew would disguise themselves as honest merchants, while the rest of the crew hid below deck to surprise their victims and seize their vessel. Today this term is used to describe a person or action that is honest and forthcoming.

2. Mayday - Deriving from the French word “m’aidez” or “help me” in English, this term was first used in 1923 and was adopted in 1948 as the international voice radio distress signal for ships and people in imminent danger at sea or in the air.

3. Hunky-Dory -This term is another way to say “Okay” . Its origin comes from a street in Yokohama, Japan, popular with sailors, named “Honki-Dori.” Tenants of Honki-Dori street catered to the lustful pleasures of sailors. The street’s name eventually became synonymous with “pleasurable” or at least “satisfactory.”

4. Cup of Joe - This term is a Naval idiom for coffee. After being appointed Secretary of the Navy in 1913, Josephus Daniels made many changes, including the elimination of wine aboard Naval ships, which made coffee the strongest drink aboard Navy ships. Because of this coffee became known as “a cup of Joe.”

5. Scuttlebutt - This term nautical jargon for rumors or gossip. During a voyage, rumors would often begin around the water cask, called a scuttlebutt – which was basically a drinking fountain in the days of wooden ships. Rumors heard around the drinking fountain eventually became known as “scuttlebutt.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Flags.com is veteran founded and family owned. This Navy Day and every day, we are eternally grateful for all those who have served this country, defended our freedom, and protected our way of life.