Raising the standard: Fascinating flags and the stories behind them
By Barry Neild, for CNN
January 16, 2014 -- Updated 0332 GMT (1132 HKT)
Essentially they're just pieces of colored cloth, but run any of them up a pole and they become powerful talismans capable of making people behave in peculiar ways.
The stories behind national pennants can be inspiring, intriguing and often give an insight into the culture and history of the country.
We're all about raising standards and we think some of the tales behind these patriotic pennants are worth saluting.
What flags do you love and why? Leave a comment.
Canada
Say what you like about over-polite Canadians, at least they've managed to ditch the Union flag of their former British overlords.
Canadian leaders debated furiously before finally adopting the resplendent red maple leaf in 1965, an ensign pointedly free of colonial images.
Good thing they did, because it gives Americans and Brits a useful flag to slap on their backpacks to stop people hating them.
One original proposal, rejected by parliament, featured blue stripes and a maple trefoil that almost completely failed to resemble a cannabis leaf.
What to say: "The Canadian flag has saved my bacon a few times."
Flag it up: Brockville is birthplace of the flag. Main attraction? Possibly the U.S. border 15 miles away.
MORE: How to pretend you're a Canadian when you travel
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Greece
A flag that complements its environs.
Few flags evoke the nation they represent as well as Greece's.
The blue stripes conjure the cobalt summer skies and azure seas that annually lure millions of vacationers; the white recalls spotless coastal buildings dotting its beautiful coastline.
The nine stripes are said to represent ancient muses or possibly the number of syllables in the battle cry "eleftheria i thanatos," meaning "freedom or death," used in wars against the Ottomans.
What to say: "Tentative signs of a recent economic recovery are a good excuse to wave the flag."
Flag it up: On the gorgeous Cyclades islands the buildings wear the national colors with pride.
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By Barry Neild, for CNN
January 16, 2014 -- Updated 0332 GMT (1132 HKT)
Essentially they're just pieces of colored cloth, but run any of them up a pole and they become powerful talismans capable of making people behave in peculiar ways.
The stories behind national pennants can be inspiring, intriguing and often give an insight into the culture and history of the country.
We're all about raising standards and we think some of the tales behind these patriotic pennants are worth saluting.
What flags do you love and why? Leave a comment.
Canada
Say what you like about over-polite Canadians, at least they've managed to ditch the Union flag of their former British overlords.Canadian leaders debated furiously before finally adopting the resplendent red maple leaf in 1965, an ensign pointedly free of colonial images.
Good thing they did, because it gives Americans and Brits a useful flag to slap on their backpacks to stop people hating them.
One original proposal, rejected by parliament, featured blue stripes and a maple trefoil that almost completely failed to resemble a cannabis leaf.
What to say: "The Canadian flag has saved my bacon a few times."
Flag it up: Brockville is birthplace of the flag. Main attraction? Possibly the U.S. border 15 miles away.
MORE: How to pretend you're a Canadian when you travel
-
Greece
A flag that complements its environs.
Few flags evoke the nation they represent as well as Greece's.
The blue stripes conjure the cobalt summer skies and azure seas that annually lure millions of vacationers; the white recalls spotless coastal buildings dotting its beautiful coastline.
The nine stripes are said to represent ancient muses or possibly the number of syllables in the battle cry "eleftheria i thanatos," meaning "freedom or death," used in wars against the Ottomans.
What to say: "Tentative signs of a recent economic recovery are a good excuse to wave the flag."
Flag it up: On the gorgeous Cyclades islands the buildings wear the national colors with pride.
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