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Piper Oostra
Mr. Parody
Which class
Due Date
Why Vexillology Is Cool
I like learning and researching flags. The history of flags and the meaning behind their
symbolism has come to interest me, but I have not gotten into this hobby alone, many of my
friends had an interest in vexillology before I joined them. I love seeing the way countries have
added pieces of their history or land into their flags, but my favorite aspect of vexillology is
learning about the history of the colors that link countries together. There are several palates that
differentiate regions from other parts of the world and show which countries have more of a
history together. My personal favorite is the pan-Slavic color palate: white, red, and blue. While
many countries have the same colors, the pan-Slavic has such an interesting history. The pan-
Arab colors also look very nice, but nothing can beat the pan-Slavic colors.
I don’t really know how I got into such a niche hobby, but I’m half sure my friends
tricked me into it. Some of my friends like it way more than me, they can memorize tell which
flags are which better than I can. I also enjoy learning the history of the countries when I
research the flags or listen to podcasts that dive into why certain flags are the way they are. I
don’t want to be a vexillologist when I grow up, but I do find enjoyment in this hobby. My
friends like to guess flags and that has transferred to me. Some flags can look very similar, like
many of the flags in Africa. Mali, Guinea, and Senegal are especially mistaken with each other.
The Union Jack also appears many flags. Places like Fiji, New Zealand, Tuvalu, and,
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surprisingly, Hawaii all have kept the Union Jack along with a plethora of other places and
countries. There are also ways a flag can be break design standards. Flags like ones from
Mexico, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and more are considered too complicated to be a good flag. Good flags
have five rules they should follow: they should be simple, use meaningful symbolism, use two or
three basic colors, no lettering or seals, and be recognizable. Flags like Japan are incredibly good
while others, like Turkmenistan, are overly complicated.
If I ever am curious about flags I either ask my friends for help or find a podcast on the
topic. From Reddit to Wikipedia, I’ve seen many things and been given many sources. I even
have come to know flags that aren’t used anymore and flags of countries that have since gone
away. Most days there is a flag on my mind like a song would be. Another way I remember and
learn about flags are games where I get to guess flags and what country they go to. I like seeing
if I remember what certain flags look like. From these games I have come into possession of a
little knowledge on geography. I can point out a few countries on a map. While knowing things
like this is somewhat useless, there is very much enjoyment in it. It’s a great feeling to be able to
know different places and maps when they come up.
Understanding things has always been a big thing that made me happy, and
understanding such a big, significant thing in our world gives me a feeling of elation. The joy of
knowing the history of our world is unmatched from my view. I love history and the flags with
so much history behind them makes me very happy.
Vexillology is a very interesting study. It is unfortunate that more people do not find
interest in it. History is a big part of the world; I find it sad more people can’t or won’t learn
about it. It’s always important to know the bad things so we can prevent them from happening in
the future. Flags, like the North Korean flag, can represent bad things in history. Learning the
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history behind the flag gets you to learn the country’s history. We can refer to what George
Santayana, author of “The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress,” wrote in said
publication: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” History is an
important thing, and flags are a large part of it.
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Work Cited
Albee, E., & Santayana, G. (1905). The life of reason, or the phases of human progress. The
Philosophical Review, 14(5), 602. https://doi.org/10.2307/2177494
