Why are flags at half-staff in Arizona on Memorial Day? Here's what to know

Flags in Arizona and across the United States were at half-staff on Monday in honor of Memorial Day.

President Joe Biden ordered all flags be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon on Monday, May 27, 2024, in honor of military members who died defending the United States.

After noon, the flags will be raised to the top of the staff. This is in honor of the living soldiers who continue to defend liberty and justice in the country, according to Liberty Flags.

Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday in May, allows Americans to remember and honor the soldiers who died defending the United States.

Here's what to know about the difference between half-mast and half-staff and why flags are flown at half-staff.

What is the difference between half-mast and half-staff?

Typically, the difference between the two is where the flag is being flown. Half-mast refers to flags flown on ships, while half-staff is used for flags flown on land.

More: Memorial Day is a time to remember. See what 50 years of Arizona events have looked like

When are flags flown at half-staff?

There are specific holidays and events when flags are flown at half-staff in the United States. The Arizona state website outlines those days as:

• Memorial Day, when the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff.

• Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day.

• Patriot Day.

• National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

• National Firefighters Memorial Day.

U.S. presidents can also declare that flags be flown at half-staff on the death of a notable person, according to the site. In those cases, the flag would be flown at half-staff in these instances:

• 30 days from the death of the president or a former president.

• 10 days from the day of death of the vice president, the chief justice or a retired chief justice of the United States, or the speaker of the House of Representatives.

• From the day of death until the interment of an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a secretary of an executive or military department, a former vice president or the governor of a state.

• The day of death and the following day for a member of Congress.

The governor can also order that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff on the death of a notable present or former government official or member of the armed forces who dies while on active duty.

In Arizona, the governor can also require that the state flag be lowered at all state, institutional and educational buildings. The law also allows the state flag to be lowered on the death of an incumbent elected state officer for seven days beginning on the day following the death of the officer.

More: What does the Arizona state flag mean? From the colors to the history, here's what to know

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why are flags at half-staff in Arizona? What to know