World Vexillology Day

Welcome, New England Vexillological Association

The FIAV member in the northeastern United States, the New England Vexillological Association (NEVA), has endorsed World Vexillology Day. They sent the following announcement to their membership:

Vexiday – Coming to a Calendar Near You!

As a vexillologist, you know about Flag Day. On 14 June, the day when the US flag was adopted, we celebrate its adoption with various patriotic observances; some locations more than others.

But as a vexillologist, you are doubtlessly aware of many, many other flags, and each has its own rich history. There soon may be an occasion to publicly celebrate these other flags, and help educate the general public about vexillology, the study of flags – especially young people, who may have an interest in flags, but as far as they know; no one else does.

Scott Mainwaring of the Portland (OR) Flag Association, is spearheading a drive to designate 1 October “World Vexillology Day”, a day to celebrate flags, flag design, and flag studies. The organizers have selected 1 October, because it’s commonly recognized as the birthday of modern vexillology, being the date of the first issue of The Flag Bulletin (the first flag studies journal) in 1961, by Gerhard Grahl and Whitney Smith.

This will be an annual event to raise public awareness and introduce people, (again, especially young people), to opportunities available to become more active in pursuing their interest in flags.

The organizers have started a website, www.vexiday.org, to educate the public and to advertise events that flag associations around the world may wish to organize (some suggestions are on the website). They have also have set up accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.

We at NEVA support this initiative. We may be able to organize some sort of Vexiday event, locally or online, in time for 1 October 2016, and if so, will take steps to publicize it. At some point the organizers hope to have the large flag associations, like FIAV, NAVA, and the Flag Institute, formally endorse Vexiday.

Please let us know at NEVA what you think of this, and your feedback on the idea in general is very welcome at the Vexiday website.

For more information about NEVA, contact Carl Gurtman at cgurtman@maine.rr.com or visit their website (under construction) at nejv.org.

Welcome, Bandiere Storiche

The Milan-based flag group, and FIAV member, Bandiere Storiche (“Historical Flags”) announced today its support for World Vexillology Day and and that it will be organizing an event for 1 October 2016.

Welcome, Croatian Heraldic and Vexillological Association

The Croatian Heraldic and Vexillological Association (Hrvatsko grboslovno i zastavoslovno društvo – HGZD) supports the initiative to designate 1 October World Vexillology Day / Svjetskim veksilološkim danom. Welcome, HGZD!

Here’s the announcement on their website, hgzd.hr:

Portlandsko društvo za zastave (Portland Flag Association, PFA) pokrenulo je nedavno inicijaltivu proglašenja 1. listopada Svjetskim veksilološkim danom te je pozvalo druge veksilološke udruge da podrže to inicijativu i pridruže se obilježavanju Svjetskog veksilološkog dana već od ove godine.

Svjetski veksilološki dan zamišljen je kao proslava zastava i znanosti koja ih proučava (veksilologija) u organizaciji udruga i institucija koje se njome bave.

Veksilološke udruge pozvane su da na taj dan promiču svoje ciljeve u javnosti, organiziraju najrazličitija moguća događanja, od predavanja, okruglih stolova, javnog isticanja zastava i na drugi način koji nađu primjerenim.

Prema Međunarodnoj federaciji veksiloloških udruženja (FIAV) “rođenjem suvremene veksilologije obično se smatra objavljivanje prvog broja časopisa The Flag Bulletin, prvog znanstvenog časopisa za proučavanje zastava, koji je izašao 1. listopada 1961. godine, a urednici su mu bili Gerhard Grahl i Whitney Smith.” Inicijativu podrupire i niz drugih nacionalnih veksiloloških udruga, sa središnjom web stranicom na vexiday.org te Facebook stranicom World Vexillology Day.

In English:

The Portland Flag Association (PFA) recently started an initiative to designate October 1 as World Vexillology Day and invited other vexillological associations to support the idea and join in marking the World Vexillology Day already this year.

The World Vexillology Day is envisaged as a celebration of flags and their study (vexillology), organized by participating flag studies organizations and institutions.

Vexillological associations are invited on that day to promote their goals in public, to organize various events, from lectures, round tables, public flag hoistings and other manners they find appropriate.

According to the International Federation of Vexillological Associations (FIAV), “The birthday of modern vexillology is commonly recognized to be the publication of the first issue of The Flag Bulletin [the first flag studies journal] on October 1, 1961 by Gerhard Grahl and Whitney Smith.”

The initiative is supported by a number of vexillological associations, with the central web site at vexiday.org and the Facebook page at World Vexillology Day.

Welcome, Vexillology Ireland / Brateolaíocht Éireann

We are happy to announce that Vexillology Ireland / Brateolaíocht Éireann (VIBE) will be participating in World Vexillology Day. Welcome!

Here is a statement from VIBE’s Stan Zamyatin:

Flags have represented the aspirations of Irish people over centuries and reflected the political movements that have taken place on all sides. Today, flags have in many ways become the greatest symbol of identity and there are now more flags in the world than ever before. For that reason, there is no better time to start learning and designing flags than right now. Vexillology Ireland; Brateolaíocht Éireann promotes an awareness, appreciation and knowledge of Ireland’s vexillological heritage and of vexillology in general. We look forward to celebrating World Vexillology Day with our friends from around the world on 1 October, 2016.