Fly your Flag Proudly

There ya go Salty......a proud and honourable flag, God Bless New Zealand

 

Can I fly both of mine?

 

And mine!

But I shan't be flying it on the American special days you mentioned - we don't have Memorial Day, Independence Day or Patriots Day. Here, a flag day is a day when a particular charity has a collection in the street, and donors are given a pinned flag or (more often these days) a sticker. I think there is talk about having an Armed Forces Day.

 

Ahhhhh..... hows a Welshman supposed to look at that!?! Gadds Zooks man!!!

 

Is this better EWF?

 

Salty,
If memory serves me correctly, the four stars on the NZ flag represent what's called the "Southern Cross." Another variation of it is on the flag of Australia (which I believe has five stars). There are probably other flags that also have some representations of this constellation (Brazil comes to mind).

Popular culture sometimes will state that this constellation is the southern hemisphere's version of Ursa Minor and thus is/was very important to navigation.

I'm sure that Gloria might have more accurate info on this.

 

Australia and New Zealand have similar flags to the unknowing. The Union Jack is incorporated as the 2 countries were colonised by Britain. The Southern Cross is a easily spotted constellation in the Southern hemisphere and Australia added in the wee star but NZ opted not to, don't know why. The New Zealand flag stars are red, because of the significant bloodshed through the colonisation process and the ferocity of the Maori defence.

The large star under the Jack in the Aussie flag is the Commonwealth Star as Australia was known as the Commonwealth of Australia until the mid 1970s. Each point represents a state or territory that comprises the commonwealth.

Whilst we are close neighbours and in fact kissing cousins to a large degree New Zealand declined to join with Australia at federation and absolutely LOATHES being tagged as an Aussie when they are not. I believe the Canadians have similar abhorence when labelled by the ignorant as Americans.

 

http://0.tqn.com/d/canadaonline/1/G/s/C/canadianflag.jpg

The Canadian flag was officially adopted in 1965. I was commonly called the Pearson Pennant because PM Lester B. Pearson headed up the demand for such a flag. It has become accepted now. At home, I continue to fly the Red Ensign and the Union Jack.

Cheers,

Jim