The Flag Institute

It’s World Vexillology Day! Your chance to show off your favourite flag displays.

We’d love to see them! 😍

What the wave of St George's flags across England means for national identity Across England, everyone's flying St George's flags. But is it a burst of national pride or something much more sinister?

“A flag is nothing more than a symbol. That’s all it is. Humanity, ever since the dawn of time, we have needed symbols.” - Malcolm’s interview on the Big Issue

www.bigissue.com/news/politics/wave-st-georges-flags-england-national-identity/

Flags in the Spotlight – Flag Institute Welcomes Upswing in Public Interest The Flag...

We've been busy speaking to the media about how flags reflect history, identity, and community across the UK.

pressat.co.uk/releases/fla...

Flagmaster 170 is the latest issue of the @flaginstitute.bsky.social flagship magazine, featuring original research and fresh perspectives from across the world.

FI members receive Flagmaster twice a year, along with access to exclusive events and resources.

Become a member... lnkd.in/ewgzbQEr

Today, Parliament Square is looking particularly stripey – it's Historic County Flag Day!

From Cornwall to Caithness, every flag is out and flapping proudly and competitively in the breeze. Come for the heritage, stay for the vexillology-induced neck strain.

A flag seen at Glastonbury festival which reads ‘Ban flags’

Thoughts?

Things we love to see. Taken today in Copenhagen 🇩🇰

The attendees who were able to stay for the second day visited the Merchant Adventurers' Hall and the York Army Museum today.

Attendees at the Flag Institute's spring conference, standing outside the conference venue.

Look at all those happy flag nerds! 🤓
Thank you everyone for joining us!

🎤 Visual artist Danladi Kole Bako presented his talk 'Colours: Symbolism for medium of communication', and after a short break, Mike Scott Rumble spoke about the vexillology of civil aviation.

🎤 Stephen Rayner spoke on the contested legitimacy of Croatian symbols in the Anglosphere (1973-99), while Swedish designer Oskar Pernefeldt presented about designing a flag for planet Earth.

🎤 Gustavo Tracchia, founding member of the Argentine Association of Vexillology spoke about the introduction of flags and sashes, and Geoff Parsons, our former chair, spoke about standards, guidons, colours, guns and truncheons.

We’re in beautiful York for our spring conference! 🙌

We hope all of you gorgeous flag nerds attending have a great time hearing from our speakers!

Ok BlueSky, what is your favourite flag fact?

All 54 African flags hand-painted on a wall.

3 years after starting with Cameroon 🇨🇲, Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶 completes the African continent in full-colour, to-scale flags hand-painted on a wall 🤟

So it turns out St George’s Day is… today?
We
a) get to celebrate twice 🙌
b) are not complaining 😌

a person holding a small white flag with a red cross Alt: a person holding an England flag

Happy St George’s Day! Wishing everyone a great day as we celebrate England’s patron saint.

The fully-painted flag of Eritrea. Also in the photo are the flags of Zimbabwe, Uganda, Malawi, Eswatini, Zambia, Kenya, and Mozambique.

The partly-painted flag of Eritrea. Also in the photo are the flags of Zimbabwe, Uganda, Malawi, Eswatini, Zambia, Kenya, and Mozambique.

The partly-painted flag of Eritrea. The red is missing. Also in the photo is the flag of Malawi.

A pencil outline of the flag of Eritrea. Also in the photo is the flag of Malawi.

Hey Eritrea 🇪🇷

You look good there on the nearly-completed wall of African flags.

Flag Institute Spring 2025 Conference The conference will feature a programme of contemporary and historical vexillological presentations and site visits around York.

You can still register for our spring conference in York!

Dates: 17-18 May
Venue: The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre
Speakers: 7 confirmed
Also attending: Many flag nerds just like you!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flag-institute-spring-2025-conference-tickets-1232062374729?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hey this is us 👋

Finished flag of Malawi, hand-painted on a wall

Partly-coloured-in flag of Malawi

Pencil outline of the flag of Malawi, drawn on a wall

Malawi 🇲🇼 and its 31 rays coming out of a red rising sun… here we go ✌️

Full-colour, to-scale, hand-painted flag of Zambia, above the flag of Mozambique

Partially-painted flag of Zambia, above the flag of Mozambique

Partially-painted flag of Zambia, above the flag of Mozambique

The beginning of the flag of Zambia in pencil, with the cutout of an eagle used to trace it on the wall

Zambia 🇿🇲 has a flag that looks impossible to hand-paint in 9x6cm… until it becomes possible 🤟

Flag Institute Spring 2025 Conference The conference will feature a programme of contemporary and historical vexillological presentations and site visits around York.

Our spring conference 2025 will be in York!

🗓️ 17-18 May
🏠 The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, YO24 1AQ

Some speakers already confirmed!

Get your ticket today 👇

Pencil drawing of the proportions of the flag of Mozambique

Pencil outline of the flag of Mozambique on the wall

The yellow and green bits of the flag of Mozambique painted in

Full-colour, to-scale flag of Mozambique painted on the wall

Hey Mozambique 🇲🇿

please use flags to celebrate, grow, and unite behind a common cause.

don’t use flags to demand superiority, or bully or exclude people.

that’s our TED talk.

Read more on our website: www.flaginstitute.org/wp/uk-flag-registry-news/bothwell-flag-unveiled/

The new flag of Bothwell - a stylised map of the town, with a central red sandstone castle and the river Clyde flowing to the west.

Congrats to Bothwell on its new flag!

We love a flag ceremony, so here you are with a filming of the unveiling! 🥰

www.youtube.com/live/mue40QArDMg?si=Lw0NgKKYnXqAFCOE

Parrots, trees and dragons: test yourself with our quiz on national flag changes The ‘independence flag’ now flies in parts of Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, but can you identify these other countries that have changed their flags (or not)?

A flag quiz to start your 2025 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/01/parrots-trees-dragons-quiz-national-flag-changes

It’s cold and dark and wet. But it’s 141 days to the Eurovision final. And 180 days to Glastonbury.

Longer, warmer days will come, and glorious flags will flap gaily in the summer skies.

You beautiful flag nerds, hang on in there.

Flagmaster 169 in paper and digital form is now with the worldwide @flaginstitute.bsky.social membership.

Articles include new Danish Flag Law, the Tino Rangatiratanga (Māori) flag, and flags in St Pierre and Miquelon.

Sign up for FI membership at www.flaginstitute.org/wp/ to receive your copy.