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Flags of the World
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United States
Charles A. Barr
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Symbolism
The thirteen stripes of the flag represent the thirteen orginal
colonies. Here is a list of the orginal colonies and their dates of joinning the union:
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(1st) Delaware December 7th, 1787
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(2nd) Pennsylvania December 12th,1787
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(3rd) New Jersey December18th, 1787
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(4th) Georgia January 2nd, 1788
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(5th) Connecticut January 9th, 1788
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(6th) Massachusetts February 6th, 1788
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(7th) Maryland April 28th, 1788
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(8th) South Carolina May 23rd, 1788
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(9th) New Hampshire June 21st, 1788
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(10th) Virginia June 25th, 1788
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(11th) New York July 25th, 1788
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(12th) North Carolina November 21st, 1789
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(13th) Rhode Island May 29th, 1790
The 50 stars represent the 50 states in the union. The colors red, white and blue had no meaning
attached to them when they where chosen to be the colors of the flag.
History
To the youngest generation of Americans, this flag is probably the only flag they have ever seen
or known. However, the currunt flag is the 27th
flag of the United States. The 50 star flag became the official flag on August 21, 1959 with the addition of Hawaii to the union.
The first flag of the United States was adopted on June 14, 1777. Since the United State was formed
on July 4, 1776, for the first year of the union there was no official flag. The most commonly used flag during this period was the Grand Union Flag.
There is a popular myth about the creatation of the first flag. The myth attrubutes the creatation of the first flag to Elizabeth Griscom Ross
or as she is more popularly know as Betsy Ross. However there are no official documents backing up any of these claims. This myth is so previlant
that it is often taught as fact.
There is only one flags that had more than 13 strips and that is the second flag. In 1795,
Vermont and Kentucky where made states and so the
flag was changed to 15 stars and 15 strips. It was soon realized that this would not work as more states were added and the next and all other flags
have 13 stripes to represent the original colonies and a star for each state. An interesting side note is that the United States Army's Institute
of Heraldry has plans for flags with up to 56 stars using a similar staggered star arrangement in case additional states accede.
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The Flag of the United States
The Grand Union Flag
The "Betsy Ross" Flag
The 15 Stripe Flag
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India
Angelina C. Boyd
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The current Indian flag is saffron for courage, white for truth and purity, and dark green for faith and fertility. After India gained its independence, the red was changed to saffron in order to change the meaning of the colors from religious unity to focus instead on Indian nationality. The width to length ratio is 2 to 3. There is a navy blue wheel in the middle that was the Dharma Chakra, wheel of the law in the Sarnath Lion capital in the 2nd century BC. It is about as wide as the white stripe-although other sources say the Ashoka Chokra should only by 3/4 of the width- with 24 spokes that are interpreted as there being "life in movement and death in stagnation". This symbol is also said to show the importance of karma. (2)
In 1942 in Hamburg, the Indian National flag was first flown and respected as an entity on its own merit, independent of the Congress Party that birthed it.(1)
India and Pakistan came into being on August 15, 1947. Soon after which, India presented as its flag the horizontal tricolor with orange on top, then white and green, bearing a blue Ashoka Chakra in the center. The flag was adopted by the general populus decades before it was officially accepted.(2)It is called tiranga by its people; which means tricolor.(3)
The flag evolved over many years; the Indian National Congress had been using it since the 1920's. The colors were understood to represent Hinduism as orange, Islam as green, and the dream of unity and peace as white. Other sources say that the white on the INC flag was supposed to represent other minority religions or was to be a buffer of peace between the two communities, as in the flag of Ireland. (4)
It was commonly acknowledged to have been inspired by the flag of Ireland, another country that struggled for independence against Britain. On the Congress version of the flag, there was usually a blue spinning wheel in the center in remembrance of Gahndi's promotion of handspinning as a means to increase self sufficiency. (2)
The wheel of the law", used by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka of the 3rd century, was adopted in place of the spinning wheel. The move was meant to distant the new flag from that of the Indian National Congress. (2)
The first Indian flag was created by Sister Nivedita in 1904 when the country was first attempting to gain its independence from Britain. It was thought that a flag would be a powerful rallying symbol to inspire its people. This flag is referred to as Sister Niveditas Flag, and is a red square with a yellow inset that had a thunderbolt and a white lotus in the middle. Written on it in Bengali are the words Vande Mataram-Hail the Motherland. Red was symbolic of freedom, yellow for victory, and the white lotus was for purity. (4)
At a protest rally on August 7, 1906, the Calcutta flag was unveiled. It was the first tricolor, with orange, yellow and green. There were eight half opened lotus flowers on the orange, a sun and crescent moon on the bottom with Vande Mataram written on the center of the white band in Devanagari. (4)
A new version was revealed a year later on August 22, 1907 in Stuttgart, Germany, by Bhikaji Cama, who designed the flag with Veer Savarka and Shyamji Krishna Varma. This one was green, saffron, and red, with green symbolizing Islam and saffron for Hinduis, and Buddhism. It had eight lotuses on the top green band to signify the provinces of British India. Similar to the previous flag, the words Vande Mataram were emblazoned in the center. On the bottom left was a crescent and opposite that there was a sun. This newer flag saw more action than its predecessors, being used during World War 1 and as a representative of India in the United States. It was dubbed the Berlin Committee flag because it adoption occurred at that meeting. (4)
As a kind of side note, in 1917 Bal Gangadhar Tilals and Annie Besant created the Home Rule movement which came up with their own flag. It consisted of five red and four green stripes, with a Union Jack on the upper left corner and a white crescent and star opposite it. Seven white stars form the Saptarishi (Ursa Major) constellation that carries religious significance to the Hindus. The Union Jack was intended to represent the Indian quest for Dominion status and freedom, but due to popular disdain for that design, the flag did not gain much of a following. (4)
In continuation of the evolution of the tricolor, Pingali Venkayya, Umar Sobani, and SB Bomanji joined together to form the Indian National Flag Mission. From this joint effort another flag was created that had a red and green background and a spinning wheel (Charka). The design was shown to Mahatma Gandhi, who was not satisfied that the flag was not representative of all Indian religions. The flag was modified to be white, green, and red with the Charka almost the width of the flag. Use of this flag was widespread for a couple of years. (4)
As religious turmoil over the symbolism of the flag escalated, the Congress formed a seven member flag committee to address the problems. They recommended an all ochre colored flag with a Charka on the upper left. In 1931 it became orange, white and green with a Charka in the center. On August 8th, 1947, the most current version was released and had saffron instead of orange and a Dharma Chakra (wheel of the law) instead of a Charkha (spinning wheel). (4)
Dr. S. Radhakrishna, who was a member of the Constituent Assembly that adopted the Indian flag, stated that the meaning of saffron was that the leaders of this country should be above material things and focus on their work. White stands for light and truth to guide the way, while green shows their dependence on the soil for life. The Ashoka, he says, is the truth or virtue that should be the guiding principle of its people; and that India should not resist change but embrace it. (2)
Pingali Venkayya designed the flag. It can only be made with a specific king of hand woven yarn called khadi. (4)Until January 26, 2002, the 53rd Republic Day, the citizens of India were not allowed to fly the flag themselves. This was changed by Navin Jindal, a young man from Madhya Pradesh, India, who filed a public interest petition. On May 29, 1953, the Indian flag was flown on Mt Everest with the Union Jack and the Nepalese flag (3)
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The current flag of India
The 1904 flag
The 1906 flag
The 1907 flag
The 1917 flag
The 1921 flag
The first verson of the 1931 flag
The adopted verson of the 1931 flag
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Ireland
Megan C.Collins-Hed
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The Tricolour - The Flag of Ireland
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orange - standing for Irish Protestants
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green - signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause
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white - representing the hope for peace between them
First developed in 1848, the "Tricolour," the national flag of the Republic of Ireland has three equal stripes illustrating the Irish
political landscape from then and now. Upon independence from Britain, on December 6, 1921 the "Tricolour" was adopted as the national flag.
Northern Irish Protestants supported William of Orange (William III), the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Orange defeated the
deposed King James II, in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Protestant dominance over Ireland was secured by William III's victory.
The English, mainly Anglicans and Scots, mainly Presbyterians are sometimes called Orangemen.
Green as the color standing for the Irish Catholic nationalists of the south symbolizes revolution. The gold harp on a green background
was the former, unendorsed flag used from 1798 until the early twentieth century as a symbol of nationalism.
For centuries the green flag of Ireland was a thing accurst and hated by the English garrison in Ireland, as it is still in their inmost
hearts...
...the green flag of Ireland will be solemnly hoisted over Liberty Hall as a symbol of our faith in freedom, and as a token to all the
world that the working class of Dublin stands for the cause of Ireland, and the cause of Ireland is the cause of a separate and distinct
nationality.
James Connolly, Worker's Republic, April 8, 1916
The Tricolour was first displayed in public on March 7, 1848, by the militant nationalist Thomas Francis Meagher. Meagher stated,
The white in the center signifies a lasting truce between the "Orange" and the "Green," and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of
the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood.
It was not until the Rising of 1916, when it was raised above the General Post Office in Dublin, that the tricolor came to be regarded as
the national flag. It rapidly gained precedence over any which had existed before it, and its use as a national flag is enshrined in the
Constitution of Ireland.
A gold harp on a blue field had been the arms of Ireland since the 16th century, but the United Irishmen changed the color of the field
from blue to green - a color which symbolized revolution in the late 18th century. Leaves, branches and 'liberty' trees were frequently
employed as republican emblems at the time:
The Green Flag was widely carried during the rebellion of 1798 - often with the motto of the United Irishmen, 'Éire go brágh'
('Ireland forever'), below the harp. The poet Mícheál Óg Ó Longáin, a United Irishman, wrote as follows in that year:
Go bhfeiceam Éire saor gan daoirse
Is an bhratainn uaithne in uachtar scaoilte,
Gach tíoránach claoincheardach coimhtheach
In ainm an diabhail is gan Dia dá gcoimhdeacht.
(May I see Ireland free and without oppression
and the green flag flying on high,
with every treacherous foreign tyrant
in hell and without the protection of God.)
The Green Flag quickly won popular acceptance as the national flag of Ireland. It was used by the followers of Daniel O'Connell,
by the Fenians, and by supporters of Home Rule from the time of Parnell until the collapse of the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1918.
Brunner, Borgna, What's the Symbolism of the Irish Flag? History and symbolism of the Irish tricolour
http://www.ireland-information.com/reference/flag.htm
Morley, Vincent the 'Flag's of Ireland' Website.
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The current flag of Ireland
The gold harp on a green field
The flag of Northern Ireland
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Ukraine
Toan D. Doan
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The Ukrainian flag consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width. The top is blue, the bottom - yellow. Blue and yellow, the colors of the sky, mountains,
streams, and golden fields have symbolized Kyivan Rus' long before the introduction of Christianity. With the acceptance of Christianity, blue and gold were
incorporated into church symbolism.
History of the flag:
In the 19th century, the area inhabited by Ruthenians, as the Ukrainians were then known, was divided between Russia and the Austrian Empire. Austria got Galicia
after the partition of Poland in 1772. Territory was later added, including the Duchy of Bukovina. From 1815, the former Polish possessions of Austria were known
as the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. Ukrainians were a majority only in the eastern parts of this kingdom. As a kingdom, Galicia had three flags.
The origins of Ukraine's flag can be traced back to the convention of the Supreme Ruthenian Council, meeting in Lviv in October 1848. At this meeting, an emblem
(coat of arms) for the Ukrainians was adopted. This was a golden rampant lion on blue. At the same time, (light) blue and yellow was accepted as the nationa
l colours of the Ukrainians. For flags, both the golden crowned lion on a (light) blue field, and the yellow over (light) blue, were used. The Ukrainian colours
became popular throughout Ukrainian lands, including those under Russia, but the order of the colours was not stable.
The first opportunity for Ukrainians to adopt the blue and yellow as a national flag came with the break up of the Austrian and Russian empires as a result
of World War I. The Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) was proclaimed on 20 November 1917. This was planned as a republic within a (future) Russian federation.
However, because of the Bolshevik takeover in Russia and the war launched into Ukraine, independence was declared 22 January 1918. On the same day, the national
flag of yellow over light blue was adopted 22 March 1918. A naval ensign with a trident had been adopted a few days earlier, on 18 January 1918.
On 29 April 1918, a coup overthrew the UNR government. General Pavlo Skoropadsky set up the 'Hetmanate of Ukraine' ('Hetman' is an old title used by
certain military leaders). The flag was now changed to light blue over yellow. At the same time, a new naval ensign and 'several dozen' flags for various
government services were introduced. The Hetmanate lasted until 14 December 1919, when Hetman Skoropadsky stepped down and the UNR was restored. Under the
restored UNR, the national flag of light blue over yellow was not changed again and the other flags from the Hetman regime were used with only 'minor changes'.
Independence was soon lost to the Bolsheviks and Ukraine eventually became a union republic of the USSR.
In the Austrian parts of Ukraine, in Galicia, Bukovina and Transcarpathia, a Western Ukrainian National Republic (WUNR) was declared in October 1918. A flag,
blue over yellow, was adopted by this republic on 13 November 1918. Union between the UNR and WUNR was declared 22 January 1919, but was never properly
implemented because of the war that broke out with the Poles. Poland took control of Galicia, and kept it until the area became part of Ukraine and the USSR
after World War II.
Another territory populated by Ukrainians, Transcarparthia, became a province of Czechoslovakia in 1919, where it was named Subcarpathian Ruthenia. On
20 March 1920 a provincial flag of blue over yellow was adopted. In 1938, Hungary started occupying the province step by step. Despite the Hungarian
occupation (which lasted until the end of World War II), the provincial assembly proclaimed the territory independent as Carpatho-Ukraine on 15 March
1939. The national flag of Carpatho-Ukraine was also blue over yellow. After World War II, Carpatho-Ukraine was incorporated into Ukraine.
In 1919 the Zaporoge Cossacks took power in several territories in Ukraine. The flag was green and black.
Under Communism, the light blue and yellow flag of Ukraine was almost forgotten in the Eastern and Central parts of the country, the parts that belonged
to the USSR from the time this union was formed. In Western Ukraine, which was part of Poland, the flag was used for a longer period and memory of it survived.
Despite persecution of nationalists under Stalin, there were a few instances (heavily punished) of the light blue and yellow flag being displayed as acts of
demonstration. It was in Lviv and Western Ukraine that the use of the flag was revived in the Spring of 1989, mostly by nationalist and human rights organizations,
such as 'Rukh', 'Ukrainian Helsinki Union' and others. Two and a half years later, the flag became the national flag of independent Ukraine.
The other national symbol, the Trident (tryzub), is now finally also found on the new Ukrainian kopeck coins, introduced on 2 September 1996.
The official coat of arms of Ukraine is a gold trident on an azure background. As a state emblem, the trident dates back to Kievan Rus', when it was the
coat of arms of the Riuryk dynasty. There are various theories about its origins and meaning. A trident was the symbol of Poseidon, the sea god of Greek
mythology. It has been found in different societies, such as the Bosporan and Pontic kingdoms, the Greek colonies on the Black Sea, Byzantium, Scandinavia,
and Sarmatia, and has been used in various ways: a religious and military emblem, a heraldic symbol, a state emblem, a monogram, and simply a decorative design.
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The current flag of Ukarine
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Poland
Daniel J. Domanski
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The official flag of Poland consists of a red horizontal stripe on top and a white horizontal stripe on the bottom.
This flag has been Poland's official flag since 1919 when Poland won its revolution for independence. The colors red
and white have been the symbol of Poland since medieval times.
One complication of having this plain red and white flag is that it is identical to flags used by port authority
world-wide on harbor pilot's boats and tugboats. To lessen confusion in ports, Poland has a second version of their
flag which bears the coat of arms. This version is flown on ships and is used by the diplomatic corps.
Throughout history, the Polish royal units would display a coat of arms on their flags during battle. However,
many detachments used basic flags that were colored red and white and were devoid of the royal standards.
In 1861, during the November uprising, the Polish people needed a recognizable flag to use during battle and
for diplomatic reasons. This is when the white over red flag was adopted by the Polish legislature which is called
the Sejm. Unfortunately the uprising was unsuccessful and Poland was placed under the flag of the czars of Russia.
The red and white flag was reinstated when Poland won its independence in 1919.
The coat of arms that is depicted on the alternate flag of Poland has been a symbol of Poland for 900 years. The eagle
on the present flag is similar to that used in 1927. The depiction of the eagle has gone though changes over the years.
For instance, under the communist regime, the crown was removed from the eagle's head and the rosettes in the wings were
replaced with stars. The crown and the rosettes were later restored to the symbol in 1990.
Although the Polish constitution regulates both versions of the flag, the Sejm also passed the On the Coat of Arms, Flag
and National Anthem of Poland Act in 1980. Since 2004, the Flag Day in Poland has been celebrated on May 2nd. Polish school
children learn the following rhyme about their flag:
The flag flies when the wind blows.
And on this flag there's white and red.
Red for love, white for a pure heart.
Our national colors are beautiful.
Poland is a country that was invaded many times and that fought relentlessly for its independence. It seems that the red
in its flag might symbolize blood as much as it symbolizes love of country.
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The Flag of Poland
The Naval Flag of Poland
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Italy
Catherine L. Epolito
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The three equal bands of color that compose the Italian flag, though simplistic, contain a great deal of history and meaning to the Italian culture.
While the style and symbolism denoted in the tricolor flag have changed over the years, the overall significance of a flag to its nation has inescapably
remained the same.
History
The Italian Flag was inspired in 1797 by the French flag when Napoleon took rule of the Cispadine Republic. This was the first true flag that displayed the green,
white, and red colors which had a vertical orientation. The flag was adopted on January 7th, 1797 with red at the top, white in the middle covered with the coat of
arms, and green at the bottom, and was used as a military symbol. On July 17th of the same year, the Cispadana and Transpadana republics were united as the Cisalpine
Republic. On May 11, 1798 the newly formed republic accepted the Tricolor flag introduced by Napoleon the year before as their national banner.
A few years later, 1802 to be exact, the Cisalpine Republic became the Italian Republic and adopted a new version of the original tricolor as its flag. Being that
the time was that of the Napoleonic Wars, the newly styled flag resembled that of the Napoleonic military flags. Over the red band of the tricolor was a white
lozenge topped by a green rectangle. When the Italian Republic changed to the Kingdom of Italy in March of 1805, a golden Napoleonic eagle was added to the green
band on the flag.
Though the detailed flag was recognized by the Kingdom of Italy as its flag, the tricolor flag along with various ensigns did not become the nationally
recognized flag of the kingdom until 1861. A few years prior (1848), the Kingdom of Sardinia also accepted the same flag as their national banner - charged
with the Savoia shield covering the middle band of white.
The Italian flag known and recognized in modern times went through many alterations over the centuries. The plain tricolor (a band of green, white, and red
evenly spaced in a horizontal orientation) did not become the flag of the Italian republic until June 19, 1946.
The flag is sometimes still displayed with a civil or war coat of arms when being displayed at sea to avoid potential problems of confusion with the flag of
Mexico. The emblem (coat of arms) appears on the flags of the Navy and the Merchant Navy. The flag of the Navy contains the heraldic emblem of the Navy in its
center white band. The emblem is a shield which is divided into four sections - each which symbolizes the crests of the four past naval Republics: Pisa, Genoa,
Venice, and Amalfi. The symbol is completed by a turreted crown. The flag of the Merchant Navy is similar to that of the Navy yet bears no crown. One other
difference appears in the section of the emblem devoted to the Republic of Venice. In the Naval flag, The Lion of St. Mark is shown with a book, whereas in
the Merchant Naval flag, the Lion of St. Mark is bearing a sword.
Origin of the Colors
There are many explanations formulated over the years to explain the significance of the green white and red bands of the Italian flag. Though no one story
is viewed as true over the others, all are equally interesting and extremely notable.
The most commonly accepted interpretation of the colors is that green represents hope, white is for faith, and red characterizes charity (three moral standards
of the Italian culture). Interestingly, some Italian stories quote that the green represents the grassy plains and hills, the white forms the snowy Alps,
and the red symbolizes the blood shed in the Italian Independence wars.
According to some sources, the colors of the Italian flag had a more concrete origin. One theory states that the colors came from that of the uniforms of
the Civic Militia of Milan. These uniforms were predominantly green with touches of white. Red was added in 1976 when the militia formed the National Guard.
Though all of the colors of the Italian flag prove significant, most stories surrounding the origin of the colors revolves around the band of green of the
leftmost side of the flag. In his book 'Bonaparte president de la Republique Italienne', Albert Pingaud noted many proposed origins. First, Pingaud suggested
the Boneparte himself imposed the green color as the Corsican color. Second, green was considered the Italian color. Note of this appears in an official
document dated 1805 written for the creation of the Order of the Iron Crown. Third, green might represent the idea that the vegetation growth is more
plentiful in Italy than in the Northern countries (as noted in another story above).
The official textile colors of the Italian flag were not agreed upon until 2003. These colors are grass green (18-5642TC), milk white (11-4201TC), and
tomato red (18-1660TC). These colors have been decided upon by a commission of the Poligrafico dello Stato that has made a average of the colors of the
flags of the Quirinale (the palace of the President of the Republic), of the Senato (Senate), of the Camera dei Deputati (House of Deputies), of the
Presidenza del Consiglio (Presidence of the Council) and of the Ministry of Defense.
Festival of the Italian Flag (Flag Day)
In Italy, January 7th of each year is considered Flag day. This day of observance began approximately two hundred years ago by Reggio Emilia as a symbol of
unity and freedom in Italy. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the President of the Republic, stated that "It is the flag of the "5 days" of Milan, of Garibaldi's mission
and wars for independence; the flag of the soldiers who died in the two World Wars, of all the Italian citizens who must defend Italy's honor, unity and freedom".
Relation to The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
The colors of the Italian flag, and Italy itself, are evident in the second installment of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Purgatory. This evidence
suggest that the Italian colors go back further than the 1790's. Within this work, the character Beatrice appears dressed in "white", "green", and the
"color of the living flame" (red). Dante refers to the importance of these colors as the "signs of the old flame" (Canto XXX).
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The current flag of Italy
The naval flag of Italy
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The Vatican
Robert E Offutt Jr.
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Overview:
Vatican City is a landlocked, sovereign state contained within the city of Rome, Italy. In 326 the first church, Constantine's basilica, was built over the
tomb of St. Peter. From that time on the area became more densely populated as a result of the activity associated with the church, and of the growth of Rome.
Early Popes gradually began to govern secular regions of the Italian Peninsula, and over time came to govern full Papal States within Italy. After a various disputes,
wars and the passage of a millennia, Vatican City became recognized as a sovereign state on February 11, 1929. Vatican City is considered the smallest sovereign state
in the world containing just 108.7 acres of land. The Vatican now serves as home to the Pope, and forms the territory known as the Holy Sea, which is considered the
keystone of the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy Sea is the entity to which world governments conduct business and diplomatic relations.
The flag of Vatican City was introduced in 1825, but was not officially adopted until a few months after Italy recognized the Vatican's sovereignty in 1929.
The flag itself traditionally has a 1:1 ratio, making it square as opposed to other flags which are rectangular. The flag consists of two halves, one yellow
and one white. The yellow side represents the metal gold, while the white side represents the metal silver. In the center of the white half are the keys of
Saint Peter, and the papal tiara.
St. Peter's Keys:
Jesus said: "Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." "On this strong foundation, he says, I will build an
everlasting temple. The great height of my Church, which is to penetrate the heavens, shall rise on the firm foundation of this faith." Jesus then tells Peter:
"To you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven."
The two keys (one gold and one silver) represent this "binding and unloosing". The keys are intertwined with a red ribbon to show the interconnection of the two.
Papal Tiara:
The Papal Tiara, is an ornate, three tiered crown that serves as a symbol of the papacy. Two conflicting stories exist as to why the crown has three-tiers.
The first explanation is that the three tiers represent the Holy Trinity (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost). The other is more of a political explanation
than a religious explanation. It is said that the original tiara was similar to a crown, and was used to symbolize the Church's Sovereignty over the Papal States.
Pope Boniface VIII added a second layer to the crown, at the time of the King of Frances', coronation to show that the spiritual authority of the church was
superior to any civic authority.** Pope Benedict XII added a third crown to show the Pope's moral authority over all other monarchs. Regardless of the origins
of the Tiara, it is considered a symbol of the Papal Authority.
Personal Flags:
Each Pontiff has his own personal flag that may be used separately or in conjunction with the Vatican flag. The personal flags consist of the Vatican City
Flag superimposed with each individual Pope's coat of arms. Figure 2 shows the personal flag of Pope John Paul II.
The flag of Pope John Paul II contains a blue shield with a golden cross. This is said to represent the mysteries of Christianity. The "M" in the lower
right hand corner stands for Mary, the Holy Mother. To whom John Paul felt he had a special devotion. This devotion was so great that he believed that it
was Mary that intervened in the attempted assassination and saved his life by changing the bullet's path
As seen in figure 3, the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI differs greatly from that of John Paul II. Benedict's shield is divided into three sections.
The first section displays the "Moor of Freising." The moor's head originally appeared on the coat of arms of the old principality of Freising, during the
reign of the Prince Konrad III".
To the right of the moor's head is a bear with a pack-saddle. This bear is referred to as the "Bear of Corbinian." The story that the bear symbolizes is
of Bishop Corbinian, who preached the Christian faith in the 8th century. A legend states that the Bishop commanded a bear to carry his supplies as he traveled
to Rome. Once he reached Rome, he released the bear from his service, and it returned to the wild. It was said that "Christianity tamed and domesticated the
ferocity of paganism".
The remaining symbol on the coat of arms is a shell. The shell is representative of a couple main ideas. The first is a story about St. Augustine.
St. Augustine was walking along the seashore, meditating on the mystery of the Holy Trinity. A small boy was using a shell to pour seawater into a hole
in the sand. St. Augustine asked the boy what he was doing, and the boy replied, "I am emptying the sea into this hole." From then on St. Augustine realized
that man would never penetrate to the depths of the mystery of God. Before becoming Pope, Father Ratzinger wrote a dissertation on "The People of God and the
House of God in Augustine's Teaching about the Church," therefore he feels personal connection with the story and representation. The shell also stands for
pilgrimage, and represents a pilgrim's staff topped with a scallop shell.
Although the Vatican uses a number of different flags for different occasions, the message conveyed by any one remains the same. And serves as a reminder
of the Church's teachings and history for Catholics and non- Catholics alike.
** Interesting Aside
In the 16th century the Ottoman Sultan is said to have commissioned the making of a four-tier crown similar to the three-tiered church designs, to demonstrate
that his power and authority exceeded that of the Pontiff's.
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The current flag of Vatican City
The seal of Pope John Paul II
The seal of Pope Benedict XVI
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References
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