Vexillology, meaning the study of flags, is intriguing and challenging, I am told by Associated Content. ‘Whether you focus on flags of nations, states, counties, cities, corporations or service groups, you need to be familiar with the basic vocabulary of vexillology. Staff is the correct term for the flag pole.’ Vexillologists cringe when they hear people say a flag is at “half mast” when honoring the deceased. The correct term is “half staff.” Unless the flag is flying from a ship’s mast. That is the only situation when “half mast” is accurate’.
Fascinating Facts about Flags
Flags are normally flown from 8am to sunset but if they are flown at night they should be illuminated.
No permission is needed to fly the national flags and they are excluded from most planning and advertising regulations (but flagpoles may not be).
It is improper to fly the Union Flag upside down.The part of the flag nearest the flagpole should have the wider diagonal white stripe above the red diagonal stripe.
Breaking the flag is a British tradition for flag raising. Hoist the flag while rolled up and secured with a thin piece of cotton or a slip knot. A sharp tug of the halyard then breaks the cotton and release the flag to fly free.
Other Types of Flag
There are Banners & pennants are distinguished from flags because they hang straight down from a horizontal mount.
Flags for Pirates are called the Jolly Roger.
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company had 2 flags before it was bought by LNER. The main flag is red and blue quarters with a white Maltese cross in the center and initial letters in each quadrant. See examples
There is a checkered flag for Bernie Ecclestone for a chequered career and a stone flag for our street.
Complete Flags of the World
Flagging up Weak Jokes
Our National flag symbolizes our taxes,” “We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bill, and blue after we pay them. It is the same for Americans except they see stars too.
The Italian flag has two pieces of velcro on it so that the red and green parts can be detached when any fighting starts.
What did one flag say to the other flag? Nothing. It just waved!
A man of a certain nationality was given the job of painting a flagpole but he didn’t know how much paint he would need. “Lay it down and measure it,” suggested a mate. “That’s no good,” he said . “I need to know the height, not the length.”
Other Flag and Vexillologist Items
Flags of the World Educational game from amazon
The Flag Institute
North American Vexillology Association
