Category — World Flags

The Norwegian flag plays a central role on the celebration of Norway’s great national holiday.  Sometimes called the “Constitution Day” or the “National Day,” it is most often simply called “syttende mai,” Norwegian for May Seventeenth.

It celebrates the day in 1814 when Norway adopted its Constitution and declared its independence.   Sadly, the Norwegians were forced into an unwanted union with Sweden.  A symbol of the union appeared on their flag.  The Union device was an awkward design that combined the Swedish and Norwegian flags.  The Norwegians disliked the union emblem and said it looked like a bowl of herring salad.  They longed for the return of their “clean flag” with the union symbol removed.  They longed for their independence.  In 1905 the union of Sweden and Norway was finally dissolved.  Norwegians again had their “clean flag” without the herring salad.

The Norwegian flag with the union emblem (upper left).

To celebrate Norway and the Norwegian flag on Constitution Day, the people form huge parades all over the countryside.  The marchers each carry their national flag.  The parade is for the participants, the people who march in the parade.  It is not a parade for observers.  Parades are held in cities and towns over the length and width of Norway.  In Oslo alone, the national capital, one hundred thousand people take part in the celebration.  Many wear the national costume or the national colors of red, white and blue.  However, central to it all is Norway’s flag.

About one week ago an attack was launched on the Afghan town of Marjah.  Helicopter-borne U.S. Marines and Afghan troops swooped down on the Taliban-held town before dawn on Saturday, February 13, 2009, to re-establish government control and undermine support for the militants in their southern heartland.

On Wednesday, February 17, 2009, a Military commander raised the Afghan flag in the bullet-ridden main market of the Taliban’s southern stronghold of Marjah, signifying (to some) the end of the Taliban rule whilst elsewhere firefights continued to break out between holed-up militants and U.S. and Afghan troops.

Learn more here…

Soldier hoist an Afghan flag in Marjah, Afghanistan. Photo by Altaf Qadri.

The Flag of Afghanistan, as it flies today, was officially adopted by the Afghan government in 2004.  Interestingly, the current design of the flag looks very similar to the one that was flown in Afghanistan during the monarchy between 1930 and 1973.

The Flag of Afghanistan.

Starting in 1747, the Flag of Afghanistan underwent 24 changes.  In the 20th century alone, the flag underwent 19 changes.  Since 2000 the flag has been modified 3 more times.

Today, the Flag of Afghanistan consists of a vertical tricolor of black, red and green charged in the center of the flag the classical emblem of Afghanistan with a mosque with its “mihrab” facing Mecca.  The vertical tricolor has been present on most flags of Afghanistan in the last 20 years.

The colors on the Flag of Afghanistan, black, red and green, are meant to represent different chapters in the nation’s history.  The color black represents the 19th century, when a series of wars led to British occupation.  The color red represents the nation’s fight for independence, and green is meant to show that independence has been achieved.  Fascinatingly, these colors were also part of the Flag of Afghanistan from 1928 to 1978, running either vertically or horizontally.  At that time, black represented the previous monochrome version of Afghan flags, which in turn represented the sovereign.  Some have said that the color red was taken from the Soviet flag and meant to represent modernity and progress.  The color green stood for Islam.

The classical emblem of Afghanistan in the center of the Flag of Afghanistan has the “shahadah” in the Arabic language at the top of the flag.  As mentioned above, below the shahdah is the image of a mosque with a “mihrab” that is facing Mecca with a prayer mat on the inside.  Attached to the mosque are two flags, taken to stand for flags of Afghanistan.  Beneath the mosque is an inscription that states the name of the nation.  Two flags are also attached to the mosque, which are taken to be flags of Afghanistan.  Around the mosque is a “garland.”