Fifty years ago, this month, my country's flag was born. The red-and-white, maple-leafed symbol, recognized the world over, was first hoisted on Parliament Hill on February 15, 1965. It's a good thing it wasn't raised a day earlier: with its colours, someone may have thought it was a Valentine's Day joke.
I love its simplicity of colours, of its singular, distinctive symbol.
I welcome it to middle age. If only I should look as good.
Every day, atop the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, a new flag is hoisted. The old flag, only a day old, is passed on to a person who has requested it. If you want one, you can add your name to a list, but you had better do it when you're young: while I would never see mine, my children should get theirs, around retirement age.
The current wait time for that flag is about 49 years.
Happy Birthday, Canadian Flag!
No comments:
Post a Comment