Brazil Flag to Feature in 2014 World Cup Mascot?

With the preparations for the Soccer World Cup 2014 in Brazil getting underway, the process of choosing the mascot for the competition is also just starting. There have been many takes on the idea of a mascot in World Cup history, but traditionally, a country’s flag has usually formed part of the design, whether it’s just using the colours (like with South Africa 2010’s Zakumi leopard mascot) or actually using the flag as an intrinsic part of the design – such as the ‘Ciao’ stick figure from Italy ’94.

In fact, the first ever World Cup mascot was “World Cup Willie” from the 1966 World Cup in England. Although it now looks rather dated, the whole mascot idea was commended at the time and very popular. “Willie” was a lion kicking a football and wearing a football jersey featuring the Union Jack. This did cause some controversy at the time, since the Union Jack is, strictly speaking, the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, whereas the World Cup was an England-only affair. Nationalist sentiment in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was perhaps less strong than it is now but the appropriation of a UK symbol for an event that only took place in England still caused some protest.

Brazilian Flag

Brazil certainly won’t have that problem, and the national flag is the subject of deep affection within Brazil. In fact, one of the major holidays in Brazil is the national Flag Day on November 19^th, where Brazilians gather all over the country to pay homage to the flag, sing the flag anthem, and dispose with due ceremony of flags that are no longer in fit condition to be used.

The various ideas mooted so far for the Brazil World Cup 2014 mascot are a macaw, a jaguar, or a saci, which is a popular character in Brazilian folklore. It would seem to be easy enough to incorporate the flag (or at least its colours) into the macaw or the jaguar, but the saci might be a little trickier. Originally a representation of an indigenous deity, the saci is popular today especially among black Brazilians. The one-legged youngster smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap which allows him to disappear and reappear whenever and wherever he likes. It would certainly be more imaginative than most mascots, but it’s certainly not clear where the Brazil Flag would fit in!

The 2014 World Cup promises to be one long holiday in Brazil, and the mascot usually forms such a central part of the festivities that we’re sure there will be plenty of great designs entering the contest. Let’s just hope that Brazil’s unique flag also gets in on the act!

Dan Clarke works for Real Brazil Holidays, a specialist provider of holidays in Brazil, and he’s hugely looking forward to visiting Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

A Brief Overview of the New Zealand Flag

A brief overview of the New Zealand flag and what makes it special.

Flag History - New Zealand

A country’s flag signifies the struggles the country has overcome, it identifies the strengths of the country and it creates a symbol to unify its people.  When traveling to a foreign country, such as when you plan a New Zealand Vacation, it is helpful to learn about the history of the country’s flag.  This will provide you with an understanding of what the people of the country you are visiting value.

New Zealand Flag

New Zealand Flag Design

The New Zealand flag design was influenced by the country’s early connection to Great Britain.  It is because of this that the New Zealand flag has similar colors and design features, such as the navy blue background and the Union Jack emblem that is the foundation of the national flag of Great Britain.  What makes the New Zealand flag unique, however, is that the Union Jack is offset to the upper left corner of the flag leaving three quarters of the flag for new design elements. Within the remaining 75% of the flag’s design space is a navy blue background which is intended to symbolize both sky and water, two elements that are plentiful in this country.  Also found on the right half of the flag is a representation of the Southern Cross, a constellation that played an important role in the seafarer tradition of this country.

Proper Respect of the New Zealand Flag

Like other national flags, New Zealand demands that their flag be treated with respect, as it represents the integrity of its people.  This flag is flown on a daily basis and it is a centerpiece for special celebrations and events, such as Anzac Day.  The New Zealand flag is a national and cultural treasure and it is present in both cultural and secular celebrations.



When dealing with the treatment of the New Zealand flag it is important to remember not to abuse it.  It is offensive to destroy, deface or defame the New Zealand flag in public.  Doing this can get you into serious hot water with locals and with local authorities, so be respectful.

New Controversy

While the people of New Zealand have a strong attachment to their national flag, recent debates have raged over whether a new flag design should be adopted.  This debate was spawned by concerns related to how similar the New Zealand flag is to the Australian flag, to the presence of the Union Jack on the flag (a sign of British colonial occupation) and to the omission of Maori representation in the design.  It is not clear how this debate will be resolved, but to the flag’s design are possible in the future.



Madeline Binder was fortunate enough to spend a great family vacation in New Zealand. Her experiences on this trip changed her life forever, and as a result she has spent a lot of time helping other people to see the value in traveling to this country. New Zealand is an ideal country to visit for a lengthy vacation and is also increasing in popularity as a destination for wedding parties.

201 US Flags Burned and Decommissioned in Hickory, North Carolina

A total of 201 US Flags were respectfully decommissioned and then burned at the St Stephens High School in Hickory, North Carolina on Saturday 7th May.

The old, tattered and worn flags were decommissioned in a ceremony, overseen by US War Veterans.

The ceremony started at 7PM when 63 motorbikes made their way around the outside of the stadium. “Tonight we honor the flag the way it should be honored – in a dignified ceremony,” said Scoutmaster of Troop 284 Dwight Byrd.

Rodney Bobak, from the Order of the Arrow, explained the procedure:

“We decommission what used to be flags while wearing white gloves as a final show of respect,” he said. “We do not burn the American flag – the Iranians do that. We burn what used to be American flags.”

For more information, see: http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2011/may/07/flags-decommissioned-and-honored-ar-1013939/

1-Year on Student who took down Mexican Flag has no regrets

Nick Morris made fame throughout the USA and Mexico last year, simply for removing the Mexican Flag from display at the school.

One year on, let's recap the story. The Mexican Flag was being displayed for 3 days last year at Nick's school in Houston, Texas as a part of the Cinco De Mayo celebrations.

Nick complained "the Mexican flag was bigger and flying above the American flag, and holiday or not, it was an inappropriate display for an American school." Nick decided to take matters into his own hands and took the flag down and threw it away.

On the one-year anniversary Nick commented "They didn't decorate today", a sort of justification for his stand, which got him a rap on the knuckles and a 3-day suspension.





Commenting on whether he'd do the same thing again, Nick said ""If the flag was back up there, I would definitely take it back down again. The way I handled it maybe could've been a lot different, but I would definitely do it again."


Unsurprisingly, Nick is now headed for a career in the military and serving the country he loves, the USA with pride.

Read more on this story at: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/05/06/year-ripping-schools-mexican-flag-student-regrets/#ixzz1Lf1JSbzl

The US Flag, are delirious celebrations wise ref death of Osama Bin Laden?

The US Flag has been at the centre of delirious celebrations in the USA this week following the death of Osama Bin Laden by US Forces in Pakistan.

The US population has come out in force, buying the US Flag and also draping it from houses/offices, many stores have sold out of the US Flag entirely. Crowds have been heard chanting "USA, USA, USA".

Whilst understandable given the 911 attacks and other terrorist attacks that Osama lead Al Qaeda to undertake is this wise? I know the US has a fairly gung-ho attitude, but surely the death of Osama would have been better handled with compassion and humility, rather than scenes of out and out fervour?

I'm sure the vast majority are delighted that the Architect of the 911 attacks has finally been brought to justice, but surely some of the recent scenes will just fuel future attacks? I can see some of the scenes being used as Al Qaeda training materials TBH.

Anyway, that's my take. If you have a view please leave a comment and let's all pray that the US Forces and Embassies around the world are protected and remain vigilent.

It's interesting once again to see, that flags are at the centre of world news!

Links about rising flag sales
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/may/04/flag-sales-rise-after-death-of-bin-laden/
http://www.wrdw.com/homeandfamily/headlines/US_flag_sales_rise_following_bin_Laden_mission_121157509.html

National Flag Days - A new page on www.flagsinformation.com

Just to let you know, a new detailed page has been added onto Flagsinformation.com

This page provides a comprehensive list of National Flag Days celebrated around the world, the new page can be found at http://www.flagsinformation.com/national-flag-days.html.

The Swaziland National Flag Day is on April 25, each day.

Around the world, national flag days are celebrated for a wide variety of reasons, including:

• Gaining Independence - e.g. as with the Colombian National Flag Day
• Adoption of flag day commemoration - e.g. as with the Abkhazia National Flag Day
• Famous Battle rememberance - e.g. as with the Denmark National Flag Day
• As part of a Saints Day - e.g. such as with the Scotland National Flag Day

Take a look at the page and if you have any comments about it, leave a post on this page.

May 2nd is National Flag Day in Poland

May 2nd saw Poland celebrates its national flag day. Many Polish celebrated the Flag of the Republic of Poland Day. Many private and public buildings displayed the red and white Polish Flag with pride.


Many of the most famous buildings in Poland joined in the celebrations. The Presidential Palace, the sejm and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland were all displaying the red and white colors.

Poland has used red and white as its national colors since 1831 and has celebrated its annual flag day every year since 2004. Poland is one of a number of countries who have an annual flag day, others include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Lithuania, Mexico, Ukraine, and USA. For more info, see the National Flag Day page on Wikipedia.


The Polish Flag Day is not a national holiday so unfortunately workers still have to go to work, but it's good to see a country honoring its national flag with recognition by a special day. This day is sandwiched between Labor Day (May 1) and Constitution Day (May 3).

Ghanaian Flag Being Waved Proudly in Misrata, Libya

Amongst the many trapped people in the besieged city of Misrata, Libya are many of Ghanaian nationality. They have made their presence known by waving the Ghanaian Flag.

News footage around the world has shown the Ghana Flag being waved, whilst pleading for help to journalists and the wider world. This was particularly evident on Brian Williams' nightly report news, direct from Misrata on 19th April, 2011.

Michael Yereku, writing on Ghanaweb.com said "This touched my heart!! I do not know any of these Ghanaians I saw on the news broadcast, but as a fellow Ghanaian, I felt compelled to do something. This is why I am writing this piece urging President Atta Mills, the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Transportation to arrange with their Libyan counterparts to implement a plan to get our fellow citizens out of Misrata and home safely and as soon as possible. Let us all pray and hope that those who are desperately displaying the Ghanaian flag in Misrata can be assured that holding tightly to the flag will eventually mean something with the Ghanaian government meeting its obligation and ensuring that our citizens emerge out of this perilous situation unharmed."


As the world watches developments in Libya, it is clear once again that national flags are often at the heart of the action, wherever there is conflict or turmoil around the globe. This seems especially the case in Libya.

Guy Teissier Wants Waving Foreign Flags in France to Become Illegal - French Government to Vote

In what is a surprising move to many, a new amendment to legislation has been proposed by French member of parliament, Guy Teissier. He is proposing to ""regulate the use of foreign flags in French public spaces by demanding prior permission".


Teissier has said, "A certain number of people, be they French, foreigners or not, during a diverse range of occasions – national holidays, protests – or in their daily lives, wave the flags of their country of origin."


The waving of foreign flags in France has become relatively commonplace, flags such as the Algerian Flag and Moroccan Flag in particular can be seen on a regular basis.

If the new amendment is passed the waving of a foreign flag without prior permission could be punishable with a fine of anything up to €1,500.

Spanish Flag Flying as Chinese Banks Weigh Up Investment in Spanish Banks

According to Reports from Reuters, the Spanish Government are still confident of Chinese investment into their ailing banking sector.

Spanish Flag Still Flying High at the Bank of Spain in Madrid

Speculation has been rife that Chinese Banks have a staggering $13 Billion to invest into Spanish Banks. $9 Billion of this is said to be from Chinese Investment Corporation alone, this rumour has been denied by the Chinese to date.

Commenting a Spanish Government Official said "This was an error in communication. There is a will to invest in the savings banks and Spanish debt ... but clearly we can't give specific amounts or name particular funds,"


The Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero  is visiting China and Singapore this week and securing funds for his ailing banks is said to be high on the agenda. For now though, whatever happens the Spanish Flag will continue (it seems) to fly high.

April 13, 1818 USA Flag - 193rd Anniversary Today

Today April 13th is the 193rd anniversary of the 1818 USA Flag.

This flag did not become official until July 4th, 1818 but was actually flown at the US state capital for the first time on April 13, 1818. 


So what does the flag mean. The thirteen stripes represent the original 13 founding colonies. The 20 stars represent the number of states in the Union as of 1818.


The flag was designed by Samuel C. Reid and was sewed by Reid's wife and friends and then mailed to Washington.

Kareem Fakhrawi Dies in Bahrain Police Custody - Flags Waved at Funeral

Amongst much civil unrest in Bahrain, news has emerged that opposition activist Kareem Fakhrwai has died whilst in police custody in a prison. Mattar Mattar, a member of Bahrain opposition group, Wefaq said "Either he was sick and didn't receive treatment or was tortured". Fakhrawi's death was the 4th similar death in Bahrain in recent days, the Bahrain government have promised to investigate.

The Bahraini Government has admitted to holding 453 detainees at the moment, to prevent civil unrest. Bahrain is currently under "martial law". Mattar has said "After these problems, many are afraid to contact us, I estimate the real number is not less than 600. That's one in every 1,000 Bahrainis," he said.


Funerals have surprisingly perhaps become a source of much anger amongst Shi'ites. The Bahrain government has banned all demonstrations, so protestors are waving foreign flags and symbols during funerals. Bahrain's Ministry of Interior warned against this action in a statement on Tuesday 12th April.


Flags being waved around the country at funerals include the Tunisian, Iranian and Iraqi Flags.

Harold "Sparky" Songer Flies US (American Flag) Upside Down as a Distress Signal

In news from Danville, Eastern Illinois a Veteran has deliberately decided to fly the American Flag upside down, but insists he isn't meaning to upset anyone. The http://www.news-gazette.com reports that Songer has chosen to fly the US Flag outside the Vermilion County War Museum in Danville as a distress signal.

Songer believes that the government in Washington, DC are not showing appropriate support for the nation's military. Songer now 86 said "Those in the service are already having trouble keeping their families together, they're gone through so much, and the number of suicides is a disgrace, and some have lost their homes and can't find jobs when they do come home." 


Songer is Director of the Vermilion County War Museum and is a veteran of three wars. Commenting Songer said " "I'd just had enough, so I stopped talking about it and did it."


In US Military tradition the US Flag is flown upside down as a sign of distress. Songer believes there is a distress situation now and said ""Things are such a mess in Washington. The whole country is in extreme distress." 


The upside down flag has received numerous complaints from other veterans and members of the general public alike.

UNAMID - Rwandan Flag Flies at Half Mast to Remember Rwandan Genocide

In a memorial event held at UNAMID, Darfur the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 was remembered. The genocide caused the lives of 800,000 Rwandans to be lost in just 3 months.

Rwandan Force Commander Lt Gen Patrick Nyamvumba commented “the genocide has taught us that we should not be complicit to violence, death and destruction by remaining silent or indifferent to human atrocities. […] The presence of Rwandan troops, police officers and civilian staff in Darfur, as part of UNAMID, with all the sacrifices, is an eloquent testimony to the resilience of the Rwandan people to assist bringing peace to other parts of Africa and the world”.


The ceremony include a minute of silence in memory of all the victims. Both the Rwandan Flag and United Nations Flag were lowered to half-mast.

The Rwandan Flag

The Former Soviet Union flag flies high in the heart of Syracuse, New York

Your News Now, New York reports an unusual story in that the former Soviet Union Flag was found flying high over a building in Syracuse, New York.

The flag is seen flying at half-staff, but it's a mystery how it got there. The property manager confirmed that usually a US flag  is flying there but somebody removed it and replaced it with the Soviet Flag instead. The Soviet Flag has since been removed and an investigation has been launched as to what exactly happened.

See the full story at: http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/539677/former-soviet-flag-flying-in-syracuse/

Baku State Flag Square - The Flag is Torn and Removed Again

Not for the first time, the largest Azerbaijani Flag, which flies at the Baku State Flag Square has needed to be removed.

The reasons for its removal are unclear, it is believed though that the flag was torn in recent high winds. This is the fourth occasion the flag has had to be removed. On one occasion, local residents had to be removed, when the flagpole itself also started to move.

To date the square has cost the Azerbaijani people and government some $35Million. The whole issue is unsettling for Azerbaijani's who place a lot of emphasis on their state flag.

Background to the Azerbaijani State Flag Square
On 17th November 2007, Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a directive which promised the creation of the State Flag Square in Naku. On 30th December, 2007 Aliyev laid the foundation stone for the square. The square is in the Naval Base in the Bayil area of the Azerbaijani state capital Baku.

The State Flag Square dimensions are – The flagpole is 162 metres in height, this is the highest flagpole in the world, this has been confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records.




 the flag itself is 35 X 70 metres in dimension with an area of 2,450 square metres. The entire structure weighs in at an astonishing 220 tons, the flag itself weighs 350 kilogrammes.
The official state opening of State Flag Square took place on 1st September, 2010. The flag is an important symbol in Azerbaijan and reflects the freedom and independence of the Azerbaijani nation.

Egyptian Rioters Try to Rip Down Israeli Flag from Israeli Embassy in Cairo

On Friday 8th April, Egyptian rioters attempted to rip down the Israeli Flag from the Israeli Embassy in Cairo.

Although attempts to remove the flag are fairly commonplace, the sheer number of rioters took authorities by surprise. The rioters has marched from Tahrir Square to the location of the Israeli Embassy and had been burning Israeli Flags all the way along the route.

These scenes are the worst anti-Israeli protests since the protests that saw President Hosni Mubarak removed from power in February. The Foreign Minister, Yigor Palmor commented "They tried to reach the flag on top of the embassy but failed."

The Israeli Flag

The Egyptian Flag

2000 People March Over the New Caledonian Flag Issue

2000 people marched in Noumea, New Caledonia over the issue of the New Caledonia Flag.

The issue of the flag has seen four governments dissolved over the past two months in New Caledonia. This week the French Overseas Minister, Marie-Luce Penchard was in Noumea attempting to resolve matters.

The march was a week later than originally planned, the French High Commissioner had banned the previous march on security grounds. This march passed off peacefully but reflected the emotions people feel about their national flag and therefore their national identity.

The whole issue boils around whether New Caledonia should have a 2-flag system and observe both the French Flag and the "Kanak" as the official flags of New Caledonia.

This whole issue proves again that national flags are a really big issue and mean a lot to people all around the world.

The Flag of New Caledonia

The French Flag

Waving Flag YouTube Videos - K Naan, World Cup, Free Downloads and More

In this post we provide links to some great waving flag YouTube videos, we start off with three links to the World Cup 2010 Classic:

David Bisbal & K Naan - Waving Flag, The Official Video

K Naan, Waving Flag, from the World Cup 2010 Opening Ceremony Celebration Concert

The Young Artists for Haiti Version on Waving Flag - a Charity Recording for Haiti

And now for something completely different, waving flag by the Chipmunks!

The US Flag flying with the national anthem in the background, very patriotic for Americans!

Argentinian Football Team World Cup Goals set to Waving Flag by K Naan

National Flag Bags - Examples of What are for Sale

If you are looking for a bag of your favorite nation, there are lots of choices available. This blog post details some of the options available and where to source them from:

Argentina National Flag Tote Bag from Cafepress, available for £12.50

Brazil National Flag Shoulder Bag by Gola, available from Amazon for £21.99 -

UK Union Jack Stylish National Flag Patterned Carrying Bag from Deal Extreme for $15.76 or 10.88 Euros.

Greece Flag Tote Bag, available from Cafe Press for £12.

These are just a few ideas, if you want to shop in style go out and get your flag bag today!