The Louisiana State Flag

 Baton Rouge, LA

The Pelican Flag

The Pelican Flag

I really like the Louisiana State Flag but I haven't seen it everywhere like I saw the Maryland Flag.  I am not sure if it just blends into the environment more or if it is just flown less and on fewer things here.  

The Louisiana State Flag was officially adopted on July 1st 1912 as Louisiana celebrated its centennial year of statehood, the State Legislature adopted the flag design depicting a pelican vulning herself.  The law only specified that the pelican should be white and didn't specify any other details about the flag so early on flags varied quite a bit.  

During the 19th century it was traditional for the pelican in her piety to have drops of blood on her chest.  What is this?  Well, The Physiologus, a Greek didactic Christian text from the 3rd or 4th century claimed that pelicans kill their young when they grow by striking them in the face.  The mother then laments them for 3 days after which she strikes her side and brings them back to life with her own blood.  In 2006 an eighth-grader brought it to the attention of the state legislator that the flag wasn't consistent.  This led to a new guidelines for the flag which stated "From here forth, our flag must show three drops of blood.  No more, no less.  Three shall be the number of drops, and the number of drops shall be three.  Four drops shalt not appear, neither two, except in the event a third drop is to be added immediately.  Five drops is right out." 

Since 2006 the official flag has changed 2 more times updating to a more sophisticated pelican.  

Most of the info I got came from Wikipedia. I will be looking out more for the flag as we travel around the next month and a half.  

That's it for today.  If you missed yesterday's post you can find it here.