Night in Venice Flags on the "Winner Prize" July 15, 1989

 Night in Venice is an annual summer boat parade held in Ocean City, New Jersey.  In it people decorate their boats in themes and winners of certain classes get awards for outstanding decorations.  Additionally houses that have private harbor entrances are allowed to decorate their homes in the spirit of the night and compete for prizes as well. 

In the summer of 1989 a rather unique prize featured a lacquered letter box with a sailing ship design. 


Of vexillological interest are the three flags on the mastheads.  Near the back end of the ship or 'Rudder Mast' is a red pennant with white circular design near the hoist.  On the 'Central Mast' is horizontal tribar, starting from the hoist: red, blue, and green.  And finally on the 'Forward Mast' is a longer blue swallow tail pennant. 

Flag for the opposite side of the Prime Meridian - 180th Merdian, Antimeridian, Omega Meridian, and International Date Line

Flag of opposite of the prime meridian or 'omega' meridian is based upon the flag of the prime meridian but the colours orange and blue are switched.  It is also the international date line when these lines are in sync.  Basically its the flag of the international date line when the international dateline is in tune with the prime meridian, but the design of the international date line varies. 


When the international dateline shifts east, it means that the day is starting earlier thus is has a blue shift like a blue shifted galaxy.  But when the international dateline shifts west, it means means that the day is ending later thus it has red shift like a red shift galaxy.


There is a natural 48 hour daily cosmic cycle on earth, but due to political tinkering and making business harmonious we have more than 48 hours time zones, as of now there are officially 50 hours in a day. Maybe some day they will add more?  Thus if you want your business to be a leader, you may want to register your shipping fleet in Kiribati or open an office there so you can get a two hour head start?

Flag for the Prime Meridian

The flag of the Prime Meridian uses the colours blue, white, yellow, black, and orange.  The central blue checker pattern represents the center zero point of prime meridian. The black and yellow horizontal stripes symbolize that when it is high noon at the prime meridian the day has officially begun at midnight on the other side of the world.

Countries that can fly this flag on their prime meridian include: Ghana, Togo, Burkina-Faso, Algeria, Mali, Algeria, Spain, France, and England - as well as Antarctica. 

The checker pattern indicates that the person has crossed a unique line of sorts as when one crosses the finish line.  It is to be waved vigorously when one has crossed this zero point.  This special meridian is the arbitrary dividing line between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.



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Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/battyden/with/308493413/

Flag for the Antarctic Circle

The flag of the Antarctic Circle features the natural colours found on its most populous biped - the penguin.  It is quartered into two designs - an orange, red, and white checker portion and a solid black portion.  In the lower left hand quadrant is the constellation Octans the Star Compass. Octans is the most southern celestial constellation and home to the Southern Star which is noted with eight points.









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Photo Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/8170280/Pictures-of-the-day-30-November-2010.html?image=1

Flag for the Arctic Circle

The flag of the Antarctic Circle is quartered with two white and indigo checkered quarters.  In the opposite quadrants are solid navy blue areas, but in the upper left quadrant is the constellation Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, and the North Star.  The six stars of the 'Little Dipper' have four points, and North Star has five points. The checker pattern is based upon the feeling one gets when crossing a finish line, but in this case it is a congratulatory checker wave for crossing the Arctic Circle.

The Arctic Circle runs through Canada, the United States, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Greenland at 66 degrees North.

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Photo Credit: http://www.allposters.com.au/-sp/Seal-Pup-posters_i373483_.htm

Flag for the Equator

The Equator Flag can be flown officially at the Equator.  Thus the nations of Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, Brazil, Gabon, Little and Large Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Indonesia have the right to fly this flag on land at their appropriate places.  Likewise this flag can be flown under 1 degree North or South.

The Equator Flag has a white background with a red checker stripe in the middle.  It is bounded by to the top and bottom with black and yellow sandwich stripe.  

The checker pattern denotes a sense of victory as when one crosses the finish line.  Typically race cars get a black and white checker flag to signal their final lap when they are about to cross the finish line.  Likewise when people cross the equator they are crossing a natural geological line worthy of a victory dance. 

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photo credit: taken by Husond, en:Image:Equator_São_Tomé.JPG, enwp upload on 02:00, 14 October 2006

Flag for the Tropic of Capricorn

The flag for the Tropic of Capricorn is essentially a checker flag.  The main part of the checker pattern is composed of violet and black.  Along the center is a bottom to top stripe with three yellow Capricorn symbols upon it.  On either side of the Capricorn Stripe the checker pattern has become yellow.

























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Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tropic_of_Capricorn_Jujuy.JPG
Djr xi 24 March 2010