Flags
a Flea Market Flag
foto by Kat Livengood
i say put away
other peoples flags
hide all those old dead
government rags
get out your own flag
let your freak flag
fly high in the
sky
the American Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design that is used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or as decoration.
The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.
National flags are potent patriotic symbols with varied wide-ranging interpretations, often including strong military associations due to their original and ongoing military uses. Flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for other decorative purposes. The study of flags is known as vexillology, from the Latin word vexillum, meaning flag or banner.
Racing Flag
15 Weird Facts about Flags
1. The Bikini Atoll’s flag is similar to the USA flag, but with black stars representing islands destroyed by nuclear testing, to serve as a reminder of the debt the US still owes them for nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning.
2. The Filipino flag is flown with the red stripe up in times of war and blue stripe up in times of peace.
3. The US Pledge of Allegiance was conceived by a magazine to sell American flags to public schools.
4. The nylon American flag planted on the moon during Apollo 11 cost $5.50, was knocked over by exhaust from the Lunar Module’s ascent, and is likely to have disintegrated by four decades of heat, UV rays and radiation.
5. “Backwards American flags” on airplanes and military uniforms are worn with the stars in front to “give the effect of the flag flying in the breeze as the wearer moves forward.”
6. The first Olympic flag went missing for 77 years after the 1920 games until a 1920 olympian revealed he’d had it in his suitcase the whole time
7. During truce talks between North and South Korea, both parties would try to bring a bigger national flag than the other to each meeting. This went on until a special meeting was called to address the size of the flags, as they could no longer fit in the room.
8. Lichtenstein and Haiti developed identical national flags independently of each other. No one realized until the two countries competed against each other in the 1936 Summer Olympics under the same flag.–
9. In 1906, an Irish Olympic silver medalist Peter O Connor climbed a 20 foot flag pole and waved the Irish flag when made to compete for Britain, all while Irish and Irish-American athletes fought off guards at the end of the pole.
10. According the Flag Code, the American Flag should never be used for advertisement purposes in any manner whatsoever.
Bronze flag found in Iran, 3rd millennium BC
11. Hawaii’s state flag features the Union Jack (Flag of the UK) and is the only US State flag to do so.
12. The Union Flag originates from the union of the crowns, not the union of the countries, so if Scotland leaves the United Kingdom, the Union Flag does not have to change.
13. When a foreign dignitary stays over at Blair House (the sister version of White House), their national flag is flown over the premises and the area is considered foreign soil.
14. The U.S. is the only country that does not dip its flag to the host country at the Olympics opening ceremonies. When the U.S. flag-holder was asked to do so for King Edward VII at the 1908 London games, he supposedly responded, “This flag dips to no earthly king.”
15. Texas is the only state where citizens also pledge allegiance to the state flag.
The flag of Mars is a tricolor used to represent the planet of Mars. While not official in any legal sense, it has been approved by, and is used by, the Mars Society and The Planetary Society. The flag is designed to portray the “future history” of Mars. The red bar, which lies closest to the mast, symbolizes Mars as it is today. The green and blue symbolize stages in the possible terraforming of Mars, should humanity ever have the will and the ability to undertake such a task, the ethics of terraforming remaining a matter of debate.
Red FInch of TEsuque Flea Market