For most of my life, I have spent a part of each summer in Avalon, a beach town on the Jersey Shore. As a kid, I enjoyed days body surfing, emerging from the water only for a bologna and cheese sandwich and a nap on an old sheet, repurposed for the sand.
Avalon, a barrier island on the southern part of the shore, has always had a reputation as the playground of Philadelphia’s more moneyed set. It’s even wealthier now than when I spent my first summers “down the shore,” as we say. But its core identity remains the same: Avalon is casual. No one dresses up. And when spending the day there, the only goal is not to do much of anything.
As a journalist, I have spent nearly two decades writing about the Jersey Shore’s foods, traditions, and quirks, resulting in two books about the area — and a few articles for this newspaper.
When my father bought a vacation home in Avalon in 2020, he gave each of his children a college flag for Christmas — the flags, as is the tradition in Avalon and the surrounding towns, were meant to be displayed from the house. I didn’t know why people did it, but most everyone did. So my University of Tampa flag was hung from our second-floor balcony alongside flags representing my siblings’ schools.
I live in Avalon part-time now. During sunrise runs, I like to take pictures of all the interesting flags I pass: sports-themed flags; Ivy League flags; even custom flags, many of which have been stitched together from multiple college banners, representing the alma maters of an entire household.
I marked the flag-flying tradition down as a local oddity that wasn’t worth explaining. That was until The New York Times published an article revealing that an “Appeal to Heaven” flag, a symbol carried on Jan. 6, was displayed last summer from the New Jersey vacation home of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. of the United States Supreme Court, according to interviews and photographs. (The article appeared after The Times reported that an inverted American flag was displayed at the justice’s residence in Alexandria, Va., following the 2020 presidential election.)
Flags are a significant part of the Jersey Shore culture, with each flag representing a story, a memory, or a connection to a specific place or institution. The tradition of displaying flags from homes in beach towns like Avalon adds a colorful and personalized touch to the community, creating a sense of identity and pride among residents and visitors alike.
Whether it’s a college flag, a sports team flag, or a custom-made flag, the act of flying these banners serves as a form of expression and celebration. It allows individuals to showcase their affiliations, interests, and achievements in a visible and communal way, fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie within the neighborhood.
Next time you take a stroll along the Jersey Shore, pay attention to the flags waving proudly in the breeze. Each one has a unique story to tell, a history to share, and a connection to the vibrant tapestry of life in this beloved beach community.