Around the World-- Flags and their stories

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Flag

History

Interesting Facts

Brainstorm

The Flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and

Northern Ireland is popularly called as the Union

Jack. It is officially known as the Union Flag. The

flag is a blue field with the red cross of Saint

George (patron saint of England) edged in white

superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint

Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is

superimposed on the diagonal white cross of

Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland)

The Union Flag

St. George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

Saint George

Saint Andrew's Day is November 30.

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia and was Christ's first disciple.

“In Greece, Andrew forced his way through a forest inhabited by wolves, bears and tigers. Finally, in Patras, he was given the choice of being offered as a sacrifice to the gods or being scourged and crucified. By his own request the cross was diagonal. He, like his brother Peter, felt himself unworthy to be crucified on the upright cross of Christ.”

Saint Andrew

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was born in Wales somewhere around AD 385. He was carried off by pirates and spent six years in slavery before escaping and training as a missionary.

The most famous story about Saint Patrick is him driving the snakes from Ireland. He died on 17th March in AD 461 and this day has since been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick

St. Patrick's Day

• St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March.

• St.Patrick’s Day is celebrated with parades in the large cities, the wearing of the green and drinking Guinness (traditional drink of Ireland).

• Saint David, or Dewi Sant as he's called in the Welsh language, is the patron saint of Wales. His day is 1st March.

• The most famous story about Saint David tells how he was preaching to a huge crowd and the ground is said to have risen up, so that he was standing on a hill and everyone had a better chance of hearing him.

Saint David

The national flag of Wales

• This flag does not appear on the Union Flag as Wales is a Principality of England.

• The Red Dragon is a more popular flag and was made the national flag of Wales in 1959.

• The flag is based on an old royal badge used by British kings and queens since Tudor times (Henry VII).

St David's day celebrations

• St David's Day has been a national festival in Wales since the 18th century.

• Many people will wear either a daffodil or a leek, which are both symbols of Wales.

• Children dress in the traditional Welsh costumes.

• Girls wear a petticoat and overcoat, made of Welsh flannel, and a tall hat, worn over a frilled bonnet

• Boys wear a white shirt, a Welsh flannel waistcoat, black trousers, long wool socks and black shoes.

Flags of the UK

Union with Wales

Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule 2 years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British Monarch continues today. An act of 1536 completed the political and administrative union of England and Wales.

Union with Scotland

While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled under one crown beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament at Westminster.

Union with Northern Ireland

Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected. The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom. However, armed struggle for independence continued sporadically into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II.

England

The Tudor rose is the

national floral emblem of

England. It symbolizes

the end of the Wars of the

Roses.

Thistle is a prickly-leaved purple flower which was first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The thistle has been a Scottish symbol for more than 500 years. It was found on ancient coins and coats of arms.

The national flower

of Scotland is the

thistle

Scotland

The national flower of Wales is the daffodil, which is traditionally worn on St. David’s Day.

Wales

The national flower of Northern Ireland is the shamrock, a three-leaved plant similar to clover. It is a symbol of trinity

Northern Ireland

Interesting Facts

The Union Flag is flown from Government buildings at half-mast from the announcement of the death of the Sovereign |ˈsɒvrɪn|until the end of mourning period and on the day of the funeral of a member of the British Royal Family and on the day of the funeral of a foreign Head of State and on the day of the funeral of a former British Prime Minister. Half-mast (桅杆）means the flag is flown two-thirds of the way up the flagpole with at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the flagpole

1. A town was terrorised by a dragon.2. A young princess was offered to the dragon3. When George heard about this he rode into the village4. George slayed the dragon and rescued the princess

Proportion

History

History

See you next time ~

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/george_1.shtml

http://projectbritain.com/stgeorge2.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/andrew.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/patrick_1.shtml