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The History Of Flags From Around The World
by George Pascatt
http://www.flagfx.com
Every country in the world has its own flag. Flags were used
when a new land was discovered. Whoever first discovered it
would plant their flag to signify their claim to the land.
Flags came from the use of staffs or vexilloids, most
commonly used to lead men into battle. These staffs were
decorated with symbols and other items, giving the soldiers
a unified feeling. Later these staffs were adorned with silk
and other types of material, making them resemble the flags
we see today.
Flags have been used for centuries to signify different
things. They can be used to signify civilizations, ideas,
groups, and nations. Flags were not used to symbolize a
nation until the eighteenth century. Today, every nation has
their own flag, each rich with symbolism. This symbolism
often only means something to the inhabitants of that
nation.
The flag of the United States of America first stood for
the original thirteen states. Each state was represented by
a star and there were stripes in the body, thus its name
stars and stripes. Since 1777 the flag was continually
being revised, but in 1960 when Hawaii became the 50th
state in the USA, the flag was completed.
The flag of United Kingdom or Great Britain is also known as
the Union Jack. The flag which has been the official symbol
since 1801, symbolizes the three unification of three
different countries; England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Currently, the Union Jack represents Northern Ireland, as
the rest of Ireland became its own state in 1920. A novel
observation is that the Union Jack itself forms a part of
the flag of some nations - Australia for one.
The Canadian flag is made up of a red maple leaf and red
stripes. The maple leaf was a Canadian symbol for many
years, and the flag bearing it became official in 1965. The
stripes stand for the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans which
border the country on each side.
Barbados's flag is also filled with symbolism. It bears two
blue stripes that stand for the ocean and sky. The yellow
center represents the beaches. There is an interesting
story about the trident in the center. The trident
symbolizes Neptune, and their trident is broken to
emphasize that Barbados split from Great Britain in 1966.
The flag became official at that time.
Jewish values are prominently displayed to the world on the
flag of Israel. The flag that became official in 1948, has
blue and white stripes which represent a type of Jewish
shawl used for prayers. The flag also has the Star of David
in the center.
All flags are rich in heritage, steeped in history,
symbolism, and very often religion. There are many flags
that have religious sayings or symbols on them. Sometimes,
flags go through a transformation owing to shift in
territories shift and creation of new nations. The flags of
the United Nations and the European Union are two new flags
in this impressive galaxy.
People love their national flags and are proud of what they
express. The flag tells who the people are and what they
value. Flags have proudly flown for thousands of years and
will continue to fly throughout the world forever.
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