Flags of the Day

Today is Nevada Day. It is also Reformation Day in Slovenia and Chiang Kai-Shek's Birthday in the Republic of China.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flag of the Day

Today is Republic Day in Turkey.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags of the Day

Today is Flag Day in the Republic of China; Independence Day in the Czech Republic; and "Okhi" (No) Day in Greece.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags of the Day

Today is Navy Day in the USA. It is also Discovery Day in Cuba; and Independence Day in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and in Turkmenistan.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flag of the Day

Today is Independence Day in Austria.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

A Flag for Lincolnshire

The county of Lincolnshire in England has adopted a flag. It features a red cross with a fleur de lis in the centre on a blue and green background. A gold border represents the crops grown in the county. The blue on the flag represents the sea and sky of Lincolnshire and the green symbolises the fields, while the fleur de lys represents the City of Lincoln. The red cross is from the English flag.

Flags of the Day

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Grenada; and National Retrospection Day in the Republic of China.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags for Philippe

One of the joys of the NAVA meeting was finally meeting Dr. Philippe Rault, a vexillologist from the country he refers to as "French occupied Brittany". Philippe is one of a group of Breton vexillologists who have been active in restoring or designing appropriate flags for the cities and regions of Brittany. We have corresponded by post and e-mail for many years now, and have developed a fond friendship; but only this month have we actually been in each other's company. Today, I fly the flags of the Country (pays) of Poher and the City of Rostrenen, in which Philippe and his fine family reside.

Flags and Jeeps as teaching tools

Yesterday, as I left the school building and headed toward the church, I noticed three small children, siblings with none older than seven, standing beside my Jeep. In active discussion over the flag stickers on my left side window. The flags represent most of the states and countries to which I have been since I acquired the Jeep. A couple are gifts from others. (I have never been to Europe or Africa.) It was one of those moments when I wished I carried a camera.

Flags of the Day

Today is Suez Day in Egypt; Labour Day in Palau; and Independence Day in Zambia. It is also United Nations Day.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Penalty for insulting the Moroccan flag

The parliament of Morocco has adopted a law establishing a prison term of six months to three years and a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 against any person who insults the national flag or other national symbols. The prison term may reach five years in case this act is committed at a meeting or a rally.

The law also establishes a fine of $5,000 to $500,000 in case the national flag is used in a trademark, whether registered or not, without an official authorisation.

Government of Cyrpus getting serious about its flag

It seems that the Cyprian government has decided to require manufacturers of its flag to actually follow official specifications in the manufacturing process.

?We have investigated the whole matter. We found the original documents from the 1960s that lays out the size and shape and colours and we have developed the new specifications and design and asked the manufacturers to prepare some production samples for us because it seems every government department has been going to local manufacturers, different ones and some like the colours darker and some like them lighter. They like the map bigger or they like it smaller.?

Christou said this has been going on for years until the original was no longer seen very often.

?It was like shopping for a shirt or a skirt or something,? he said, adding that all the mixing and matching to suit the buyers had resulted in the incorrect form of the flag flying on government departments, schools and other institutions.

Christou said that from now on flags ordered by government institutions would have to come from his office and he urged other organisations and people wanting flags to purchase from there as soon as the flags become available. He said they would be sold at cost as his department was not profit-making.

Flag Manufacturer moving South

Valley Forge Flag Company is moving its distribution centre from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. The company already operates a dyeing and printing shop and sewing plants in the Palmetto State.

South Africa flag campaign hits resistance

When the South African government began a campaign to fly the national flag at each of the country's public schools last month, no one expected controversy.

But the campaign has unexpectedly met stiff resistance from freedom of expression advocates, who insist the project is no innocuous civic education venture but an effort to build blind political loyalty to the ruling African National Congress.

NAVA 39 convention photo page

I have set up a web page of photos from NAVA 39 in Nashville. In this snapshot, you see Philippe Rault, Harry Oswald, me and Ted Kaye with the pre-1963 flag of the City of Nashville.

Flags of the Day

Today is Revolution Day in Hungary; and National Aviation Day in Mexico.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Royal Navy shares White Ensign for Trafalgar anniversary

The Royal Navy normally guards its ensign jealously, but on Thursday evening restrictions on its use will be lifted to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

The Navy is encouraging businesses, householders and public institutions to fly the ensign over the weekend, the culmination of celebrations marking Britain's greatest naval triumph and the death of Horatio Nelson.

The high point is Trafalgar Day itself, Friday 21 October, the evening of which will see the Queen in Portsmouth lighting the first of hundreds of beacons built across the country. The Prince of Wales will light the second in Ballater on Royal Deeside followed by other members of the Royal Family around the country. The Queen will then attend dinner in the admiral's cabin of HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship.

Earlier in the day, bells will ring out from churches across the Commonwealth and on Royal Navy ships on deployment around the world. The crew of the frigate Chatham will lay a wreath off Cape Trafalgar in the company of Spanish and French warships.

Flags of the Day

Today is Persons Day in Canada; and Flag Day in Chile.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Teacher fired after barring flag from classroom

A teacher at Kolbe-Cathedral High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was fired as a result of his refusal to follow the policy of the Catholic Church requiring the display of a US flag in classrooms.

"The Diocese of Bridgeport has long believed that the American flag is an important fixture in its Catholic school classrooms," according to a Diocesan statement ont he issue.

"Kobasa said Friday that his careerlong personal policy has been not to display the flag of any nation in his classroom."

Kobasa's policy conflicted with the Church's policy. The Church wins.

Flags of the Day

Today is St. Teresa of Avila Day in Spain; and Evacuation Day in Tunisia.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

New New Jersey flag on the horizon?

Some folks in New Jersey, including the governor, are thinking about their flag.

Mexican government protests flag guitar

MEXICO CITY - Most members of the bilingual band Kumbia Kings carry U.S. passports, but as a manager of the musicians put it, "they pretty much work, eat and breathe Mexico."

So when the Tex-Mex group appeared on a nationally televised Mexican talk show last month - with a guitar emblazoned with the colors and symbols of Mexico's national flag - they thought it would be clear the guitar was a gesture of pride in their Mexican heritage.

Wrong.

Flags of the Day

Today is Discoverer's Day in Hawai'i; Flag Day in Madagascar; and Republic Day in Yemen.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags of the Day

Today is Yom Kippur; and the feast of St. Edward the Confessor.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Flags of the Day

Today is Columbus Day. It is also Discovery Day in the Bahamas; Independence Day in Equatorial Guinea; and the Day of the Race in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Animated flags provided courtesy of Pascal Gross.