Folding the Canadian flag?

[MikeS]

Just one of those transatlantic language things, but "Stars and Bars" commonly refers to the Confederate flag while the 50-state U.S. flag is the "Stars and Stripes." One assumes that Anne's version is the Stars and Stripes but I've been wrong before

Confederate flag is what I initially thought too, since I recently sent one to a internet friend that lives in Yorkshire. She wanted it because she liked the design and I ended up explaining the connection to slavery and that most people find it offensive. (At least in the northern states.)

"Stars and Bars"

[EagleJCS]

Confederate flag is what I initially thought too, since I recently sent one to a internet friend that lives in Yorkshire.

Sorry to continue this hijack, but the 'Stars and Bars' refers to the original flag of the CSA, flown from March 1861 to May 1863. This one:



The flag you're showing, MikeS, is the CSA naval jack, which is a lengthening of the battle flag, a.k.a. the 'Southern Cross' (originally a square flag). It was never officially the CSA national flag, though it was incorporated into the second and third designs. Living in a 'border state' with a few friends who do re-enactments, you learn a few things...

[David Thorpe]

Very interesting, John. I did not know about the different flags of the Confederacy, being familiar with only what is commonly called the "Stars and Bars". No worries about the "hijack". I got what I needed and much more in the bargain. Thanks to all for an enlightening discussion.

[MikeS]

The flag you're showing, MikeS, is the CSA naval jack, which is a lengthening of the battle flag, a.k.a. the 'Southern Cross' (originally a square flag). It was never officially the CSA national flag, though it was incorporated into the second and third designs. Living in a 'border state' with a few friends who do re-enactments, you learn a few things...

Don't think i've ever seen that flag. Google 'stars and bars' and you see that both flags come up equally. Just highlights the different versions of history that the north and south have.

[JohntheBiker]

Love this forum! Only on this kilt site could you move from the folding the Canadian flag to a discussion of the variants of the flags of the CSA in a quite logical fashion.

[macwilkin]

Confederate flag is what I initially thought too, since I recently sent one to a internet friend that lives in Yorkshire. She wanted it because she liked the design and I ended up explaining the connection to slavery and that most people find it offensive. (At least in the northern states.)

"Stars and Bars"

Except this is not the "Stars and Bars" -- that nickname refers to the First National Confederate Flag:

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-csa1.html

This particular flag is the CS Naval Jack and a battle flag used by some regiments in the CS Army of Tennessee. It was designed by William Porcher Miles of the Confederate Congress, but was rejected because of its resemblance to a "pair of braces". Miles thought the First National was too similar to the US flag (and there were documented incidents where the First National was confused for the US flag during battles) and the flags of Liberia and Hawaii.

Apologies to Eagle JCS for not seeing his comments before I posted.
T.

[macwilkin]

Seems you've probably got the straight goods. As an immigrant from the U.S. I was surprised that Canadians do not treat the Maple Leaf with the same ceremony the U.S. treats Old Glory. Folding the Stars and Stripes in ceremonial fashion -- as I have done many times -- never fails to invoke those emotions I felt in moments of great solemnity and, occasionally, deep sorrow.

Ironically, it's not a very old custom -- my old chief ranger, who was also a longtime Indian Wars reenactor at Ft. Davis, Texas, loved to tell folks how in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the US Army would simply roll the flag up into a ball and store it on a shelf in the guardhouse of an evening, ready to be raised on the flagstaff the next morning with as little creases as possible. The custom of folding a flag into a "cocked hat" shape didn't come about until after the First World War -- right about the time that the US officially adopted Francis Scott Key's song as its national anthem. Before that, it had a contender in the tune "Hail Columbia!"

T.

[Old Hippie]

And Francis Scott Key wrote his poem "Defence of Fort McHenry" intending it to be put to the music of "To Anacreon in Heaven" -- a British drinking song. So I was taught in school, anyway, and "teh interwebz" seems to back that up.

More than once I've thought the singer needed a couple of beer to loosen up for the high notes.