Utah & Lousiana Christmas Flags

The Christmas flag for Utah is based upon the official flag of Utah, but with some style and colour adjustments.  All the arrows have disappeared.  Instead the two large arrowhead flag poles have transformed into trumpets.  In place of the American flags are two holiday themed Christmas flags.  The one on the left towards the hoist reads 'JOY' in a green canton with red and white stripes, while the one on the right towards the fly reads 'NOEL' in a red canton with green and white stripes.  The bald eagle is replaced with the seagull in reference to the miraculous appearance of a flock of seagull in Utah in 1848 appeared to avert disaster for the Mormon Exodus to Mexican Utah.  Also the six smaller arrows that appear out the honor point have transformed into six candy canes.

The flowers along the beehive are poinsettias, which is the traditional flower of Christmas, from Mexico.  If you forgot, poinsettias are native to North America, not the Holy Land.  Rather poinsettias were cultivated by the Aztecs, who later passed this flower to Spain, then Mexico and finally during the 1820s to an American Diplomat, Joel Roberts Poinsetta.  Today this Native American plant cultivated by the 'Pagan' hands of Mexico are an American Symbol of Christmas.   The story of the poinsettia flower has a few similarities to the origins of the 'Pagan' Christmas tree.  But instead of the Ancient Aztecs, it was the Ancient Norse and Germanic Tribes that added this essential element to Christmas. Neat thing about the poinsettia is that it a kind of 'missing link' of flowers.  Look closely at a poinsettia and you can see that those red flowers are actually red leaves.  Biologists believe that flowers evolved from coloured leaves.  It may not be so obvious with the rose or sego lily; the state flower of Utah is the sego lily that is visible on Utah's official flag. But it is quite obvious with the flor de pascua (that's poinsettia in Spanish... whatever it was in Aztequenese... who knows?)


Nonetheless, when the Mormons fled in a providential New World, Newer Kind of Testament- Exodus to Utah, it was still a part of Mexico.  Long story short, the first Mormon of Thanksgiving Harvests was saved by a flock of seagulls, considered an act of Divine Providence by Mormons and people of faith.  Consequently, the Christmas Flag of Utah has the word 'Industry' replaced with 'Providence.'  The beehive is also decorated with yellow lights, and the year of the Seagull Miracle is underneath the word Utah, instead of 1847.

Finally there are 45 snow flakes in the ball that represent Utah's position as the 45th state in the Union.  The 45 snowflakes are reflective of the overlooked and lovely snow globe.  Note, there has yet to be a great Hollywood Snow Globe Christmas Classic?  Maybe the 2020s will finally give us a good Snow Globe film?


The Louisiana Christmas flag is based upon the official flag of Louisiana.  However, there are some differences.  The background is a darker shade of blue to reflect a night's sky.  In fact, the star positions are what can be seen from Bethlehem every December 25, near midnight: except for the Star of Bethlehem, which was only visible when Jesus was born.  The constellation of Orion is on the right side of Pelican pointing towards the Star of Bethlehem.  In the upper right hand side, the constellation Gemini is visible.  The stars visible at night are opposite of the zodiac, as to ones assigned a birth. If you believe that Jesus was born on the 25th of December, that makes Jesus a Capricorn.  But every December, the constellation of Capricorn is nowhere to be seen from Earth.  Reason being it is directly behind the Sun during this time of the year.  You'd have to wait until summer to see the stars of Capricorn.   So every December 24th, starlight from Gemini, Cancer, and Taurus bathes the Earth.  This is the same starlight that would have bathed Joseph, Mary, the three wise men, and a donkey on that special night some 2020 years ago. 

Providentially Louisiana already has an official flag charmed with Christian Heraldry, and Louisiana is at the nearly the same equivalent latitude of Israel.  Thus the stars that pass directly over Israel also pass directly overhead to the Louisiana.  More specifically, Natchitoches, Louisiana is at the same latitude of Bethlehem.

Specifically, the Pelican is associated with Christianity.  But in the Louisiana Christmas Flag the pelican is roosting on the three eggs, instead of slicing open its chest for the next generation.  Also, the nest is decorated with holiday colours of red, yellow, and green.  The ribbon underneath now reads 'Holy Silent Night.'  Finally, the star of Bethlehem shines in the upper right region of the flag.

The three eggs of the Louisiana Holiday flag can represent any number of associations: like the trinity of Christianity, the triangle, trigonometry (triangle-ology, aka... the advanced study of triangles).  We usually associated Christmas with the birth of Christ, but this flag accidentally echoes that two other souls were born in Jesus's generation, who were destined to fall upon the cross simultaneously with Jesus.  Although less remembered and not celebrated, these two other lives are eternally remembered and are fodder for good storytellers.  Many people would love to sacrifice their life for their Nation and/or Gods Purpose, but imagine having your life end along side the Messiah?  But this flag is not about endings, but rather beginnings.  Christmas is celebrated for the birth of Christ, and Christianity.  It is a collective memory from our ancient past, that all of humanity can have hope and join in communal love. Although there are many paths and many interpretations, in the beginning, all were one.





 https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/palestine/bethlehem


https://bookofmormoncentral.org/