Because Columbus Day is a holiday which was first recognized about 100 years ago. It took many years after that before it became one of those "official" holidays i.e. paid days off for government employees. Then later still, it became one of those three day weekend holidays that mean nothing to most of us but give government workers a day off. (I'm a city employee but I don't work on Mondays! Plus I'm part time so there goes paid holidays. Anyway. . . )
If you want September 11 to be some sort of holiday, start at a grass roots level and try to get it declared a local and/or state holiday. I think it would make a whole lot more sense for someone in New York or another state actually effected to begin the effort but who's to say. After a few decades, then try to get federal action to make it a "holiday" and in another generation, it will fall on a Monday.
Now, for days like Thanksgiving or Mother's Day, which always fall on a certain day of the week, flags generally aren't flown then, either. I don't know why.
Oh, and Skye, both your history and your math are equally weak. You might want to brush up on them.
At any rate, I was always under the impression you could fly a flag any day you wanted to? Does Skye mean why do the VFW only put the flags out on official holidays? If so, ask the VFW. I suspect they are just following those official holiday guidelines, ignoring big dinners and parents for some suspicious reason.
[This message has been edited by Amorette Allison (10/14/2010)]