I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it to meeting. While researching Chilean history, I found the country’s flag to have a particularly interesting story. The current Chilean flag consists of two horizontal bands. The bottom band is red and the top band is white with a blue square on the top left corner bearing a white star. It is easily mistaken as the Texan flag. The white represents the snow of the Andes Mountains, the red if for the blood shed by early Chileans fighting for the independence from Spain while blue symbolizes the sky. The star is to point out the Unitarian republic or to symbolize a guide to progress and honor.
The very first flag of Chile was created under the government of Jose Miguel Carrera. The first flag was a tricolor flag named the flag of the Patria Vieja. The flag had three horizontal stripes. Top band was blue to represent the sky, middle band was white to represent the snowy Andes, and the bottom band was yellow for the fields of golden wheat. The flag was hoisted at the height of Chilean War of Independence in 1812. The end of the flag of Patria Vieja came when the Spanish forces defeated the Chilean forces in 1814.
The second flag, “flag of the transition” was adopted in 1817. The flag was raised to show the victory in the Battle of Chacabuco. The Flag of the Transition has three horizontals bands of blue, white and red to represent the sky, Andes mountains and the blood of Chilean patriots. Shortly after, on 18th October 1817 the third and current flag of Chile was adopted.
Flag Day is celebrated on 9th of July to commemorate the 77 soldiers who lost their lives in the 1882 Pacific War battel of La Conception. Chilean law dictates very strict rules about the display and use of the national flag. Homes and buildings are required to fly the flag on several national holidays. Failure in flying the results in fine. Public mistreatment of the flag is defined as felony. On that note, let’s all make sure that we don’t do anything stupid with the Chilean flag!
- Vrushti Patel
The very first flag of Chile was created under the government of Jose Miguel Carrera. The first flag was a tricolor flag named the flag of the Patria Vieja. The flag had three horizontal stripes. Top band was blue to represent the sky, middle band was white to represent the snowy Andes, and the bottom band was yellow for the fields of golden wheat. The flag was hoisted at the height of Chilean War of Independence in 1812. The end of the flag of Patria Vieja came when the Spanish forces defeated the Chilean forces in 1814.
The second flag, “flag of the transition” was adopted in 1817. The flag was raised to show the victory in the Battle of Chacabuco. The Flag of the Transition has three horizontals bands of blue, white and red to represent the sky, Andes mountains and the blood of Chilean patriots. Shortly after, on 18th October 1817 the third and current flag of Chile was adopted.
Flag Day is celebrated on 9th of July to commemorate the 77 soldiers who lost their lives in the 1882 Pacific War battel of La Conception. Chilean law dictates very strict rules about the display and use of the national flag. Homes and buildings are required to fly the flag on several national holidays. Failure in flying the results in fine. Public mistreatment of the flag is defined as felony. On that note, let’s all make sure that we don’t do anything stupid with the Chilean flag!
- Vrushti Patel