What does your Nations Flag mean?

[gael]

What is the symbolism/history/politics that your modern flag represents?

Ireland:

orange — standing for Northern Irish Protestants

green — signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause

white — representing the hope for peace between them

Heres a link that gives a brief discription:
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/irishflag1.html

 

[Knight-Dragon]

More of a current thing, than historic... Moved.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Union Flag in top left corner - The British heritage of the country
Southern Cross - Both the Southern Hemisphere, and the heritage of the Eureka flag
Star - Points represent the states.

 

[sysyphus]

Two rolling papers and a Leaf, whaddya think?

Okay seriously,

Maple Leaf: long standing symbol of Canada, due mainly to the enormous number of Maple trees here I would assume.

Two bands on either side: Representing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, basically showing off our nation's size.

Red: To symbolise the blood of our soldiers shed in the First World War

White: Snow

 

[sysyphus]

Forgot to attach this (just in case someone doesn't knwo what it looks like):

 

[CurtSibling]

Something to do with a saint who was executed in a kinky position!

 

[Hitro]

The German flag's three colours don't have a special meaning connected to each of them. The exact origin of the flag is disputed, one popular version is that it derives from the colours of the "Freikorps Lützow", which had the same colours.
The flag became popular within the nationalist movement, as a symbol for a united nation state. Black, Red and Gold became the symbols of the failed Revolution of 1848.
Later the flag has often been brought into connection with Republicanism. It replaced the old Black, White and Red flag of the Reich during the Weimar Republic. After being replaced with the Swastika flag by the Nazis it was reintroduced after the war in both Republics. East Germany used it with hammer and compasses on it, the West used the plain version. Since 1990 its the flag of the united country.
As I said the meaning is not exactly defined, the constitution simply states in Article 22 that "The Federal Flag is Black, Red and Gold(en)"

So there it is:

 

[Kafka2]

Three crosses, intended to represent a crock of foreign saints, botched together to commemmorate the success of English imperialistic manoeuvres under a bunch of usurpers and Germans.

 

[Dr. Dr. Doktor]

The Danish Flag or 'Dannebrog'.

In the year of the Lord 1219 the (self)rightious Danes launched a crusade and landed at what is now Talinn, Estonia to civilize and christianize the poor and babarious pagans. Here on that glorious day 15 of juli a great battle took place. The Danes were pushed hard but then suddenly, thanks to the exhortations and prayers of the Bishop Sunesen, a flag swept down from heavens above, and almighty God let his voice be heard that we should "carry this flag proudly and be victorious". The Estonians had to submit and be babtized. Either that or the axe. Not much of a choice

Well the more correct story is that the flag was gift of gratitude from Pope Honorius.

For me the flag represents: the white cross for Christianity and the red background for all those killed in the name of expanding the Chritian faith.

 

[onejayhawk]

No comments on the USA flag? Maybe its obvious, but the 13 stripes refer to the 13 colonies and original states. The 50 stars are one for each State. BTW this makes it the most complex flag that does not include a picture. Red White and Blue supposedly mean something, but I think they were chosen from the British flag.

J

 

[G-Man]

It was chosen after several suggestion were made according to a jewish agency protocol that required the flag to be white and blue and have either the star of david or a six corners star, when the star can be drawed as a single or as seven stars, and hd to be blue, white or gold.
White, blue, gold and dark red were the colors of the great priest and of the "mishkan", a tent which was used as the great temple untill Solomon built the first great temple. At first there were attempts to use all these colors but later the blue and the white became stronger. The flag of the Judea tribe and of the seat of honor was said to have been "sky color" and even the stones on which the ten commandments were written (forgot their english name) were said to be "t'helet", hebrew for light blue. It's uncertain if it was a name of a material. Every talit (which a jew must wear) has a t'helet string in it, so the jew would remember the commandments. The talit itself looks very similar to what the Israeli flag ended up as.
The star of david, and the six corner star which comes from it, is a symbol of jewdeism since it began. It's name comes from a prayer.
The background color was chosen to be white to show pure intentions. The t'helet was replaced with a regular blue so that immigrants to Israel in the sea will be able to see the flag. it was aproved in 1949.

 

[funxus]

From waht I've heard, the Swedish flag was the second flag ever to represent a nation, and it was made as a counter to the danish flag in wars.

From a search: The first flag was a blue field with a golden lion in it. The lion was then replaced with three crowns (representing the three kings in the bible and is still today connected with Sweden, like our hockey team) and later replaced again with a golden cross dividing the blue field in four separate fields. I assume the cross represents us being christian.

Apparently the two colors gold (yellow) and blue has represented Sweden for a long time.

 

[De Lorimier]

The flag of Québec, the one under my name, is the "Fleurdelisé". It takes its "fleurs de lis" from the banner of the king of France, and its blue field and white cross from the ancient national flag of the same country.

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Quebec

 

[Wolfe Tone]

Originally posted by gael
What is the symbolism/history/politics that your modern flag represents?

Ireland:

orange — standing for Northern Irish Protestants

green — signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause

white — representing the hope for peace between them

Heres a link that gives a brief discription:
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/irishflag1.html

Thanks for taking care of that for me do I didn't have to.

 

[WillJ]

Originally posted by onejayhawk
Red White and Blue supposedly mean something, but I think they were chosen from the British flag.

Taken from ushistory.org:

"The Continental Congress left no record to show why it chose the colors. However, in 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and listed their meaning as follows: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. According to legend, George Washington interpreted the elements of the flag this way: the stars were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors, and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. However, there is no official designation or meaning for the colors of the flag."

OJH explained the rest.

Edit: As if anyone doesn't know what it looks like:

 

[Plexus]

Since America is already done... I'll do my beloved California!

In 1863 Californian settlers hoisted a flag with a red star and a bear to show that they wanted independence from Mexico, this is called the Bear Flag Revolt. The grizzly bear is seen as a symbol of ferocity.

 

[WillJ]

And as for the Alabamian flag:

The official state flag of Alabama is called the "crimson cross of St. Andrew's," a red cross on a white background. This flag was adopted in 1895, and was patterned from the Confederate Battle Flag. This flag can be any type of rectangle (even a square) but the crimson bars must be six inches wide.

source: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/flags/alabama/index.shtml

 

[Dr. Dr. Doktor]

The bear on the California Republic flag looks a bit distressed.

 

[animepornstar]

Originally posted by Plexus
Since America is already done... I'll do my beloved California!

In 1863 Californian settlers hoisted a flag with a red star and a bear to show that they wanted independence from Mexico, this is called the Bear Flag Revolt. The grizzly bear is seen as a symbol of ferocity.

a red star? a bear? sounds very much like california is a Soviet Socialist republic

 

[Ohwell]

@ Dr.

It must be the Communist Sun that is shaped like a star that's making him dehydrated. He'd better get some cool, refreshing, expensive capitalist bottled water immediately.