Holiday State Flags for Hanukkah and Diwali - Virginia and Massachusetts

Massachusetts Diwali Themed Flag - An Old World Indian

Every year a set of flags has been decked out with the Holiday Spirit.  However this year, the spirit for the festivals of lights has been chosen.  Coincidentally Judaism and Hinduism have celebrations dedicated to a festive atmosphere of lighting candles.

Note that Diwali falls 'on the darkest night' which can fall in October or November, likewise Hanukkah can fall anywhere from November to December.

In much of India, the festival of Diwali is a cherished holiday. Many countries with significant India populations, like Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago also recognize it.

In contrast, for much of USA, this world wide festival of lights is much of an off the radar mystery.  But things are changing, surely and slowly schools, and Western commercial calendars are recognizing this holiday.  Perhaps someday in the near future, Diwali will gain recognition to "weather graphic status."  Meaning, that someday a small icon like a Rangoli or Diya lamp will appear on your local weekly weather forecast; Christmas and Hanukkah always get a weather graphic as does Thanksgiving, Halloween, Kwanzaa, and the 4th of July.

Diya Lamps of Diwali

Massachusetts was the chosen flag to become Diwalizised.  The flag plays on that persistent ethnic misnomer, as the first White men to live in the Americas thought they were in Asia; subsequently the first Whites to this hemisphere mistakenly labeled the Indigenous-Native Americans as: Indians.  Native Americans from Chile to Alaska hardly have any familial lineage to India.  Nonetheless it has resulted in this perpetual mix up.  The word Indian invokes two distant spirits: that of the Old World-South Asia Indian and the New World-American Indians.

It's like the confusion created with the word for 'hot' for food.  Is the food hot by temperature or hot by spice? Food can be hot in the sense of objective temperature, or it can be hot by causing a false burning sensation as induced by chili peppers.  Sure, people try to say spicy, but spicy can also just mean spices in the sense of seasoning, and not all spices cause a burning sensation, even though the food may be lukewarm or room temperature.  It's one of those things that nobody has managed to fix.  Perhaps 'picante' is the best word to describe food has that has a 'heat-seasoning' flavor?

Anyways, for Massachusetts the India person is wearing traditional clothes that includes a sari. The Diya has replaced the white star; a Diya is a clay oil lamp.  There are several stories related to Diwali.  But a common theme is that a God or Goddess slays the evil demon with an arrow.  In one story Sathyabama, a female princess, kills the demon with her bow and arrow.  Yet there are other versions of this story where an avatar of Vishnu as Rama shoots the triumphant arrow.  But the bottom line is, it's a celebration of good over evil.  The common theme of family and gift giving is also present, which has been heavily commercialized. 

Another change on Massachusetts' flag is the arm coming from the wreath.  The English-man's sword is replaced with one arm of Vishnu holding his sacred Gada.  A Gada is a type of weapon, a kin to a mace, yet it has a deeper meaning.  The gentile would mistake it as a rattle, yet it is much more.  It typically represents strength and power, both of the body and the mind.  Finally the wreath has is bright colours, as found within designs of the Rangoli.  Rangoli are colourful floral like patterns often made from sand.

Virginia State Flag Chanukized

Now for Virginia, as each US state flag is aligned with a fraternal flag partner; Massachusetts' wingman is Virginia. It is a proverbial bond of Father of the North, Massachusetts, with Mother of the South, Virginia.

In this case the holiday of Hanukkah is honored.  The Virginia state flag has been Hanukkized with the spirit of Hebrew lights.  The flag fits so perfectly, as the woman stands triumphantly on a Dictator.  Likewise Hanukkah is partly a celebration of God's preminent voice over the Olympian Gods of Greece.  However for the Virginia's Hanukkaized flag, a Hebrew woman holds the scrolls of the Torah in her left hand and completely lit Menorah in her right hand.  She is stands on a Greco-Selucid tyrant.  The fallen crown of the king is replaced with a dreidel, showing the letters Shin, which has the three arms and Hey.  Also the Latin phrase of  Sic Semper Tyrannis has been translated in the Hebrew:לכן תמיד לרודנים.  

Just remember you don't have to be Jewish to celebrate Hanukkah.  It is a precious moment in history, before the birth of of Islam and Christianity, when the God of Abraham was in harmonic union with mankind as agreed by all the subsequent paths to unfold from this most precious of tribes.  The Greco-Selucids were last of Empires to rule over the Holy Land, before the conquest of Rome, upon which Christianity was fertile to spout.

If ya didn't know, dreidels are used to gamble as a spinning top game to win prizes.  The rules are really simple.  Depending on which side it lands you can win the pot (Letter Gimmel- the Santa Face), get some of the pot (Letter Hey- the Fireplace Stocking), give to pot (Letter Shin - Give to Charity Heart), or have nothing happen (Letter Noon- a Simple Snowflake).  Coincidentally during the Hindu Festival of lights, gambling is a set tradition too!  

Although Hinduism and Judaism are universes apart, they are coming closer and closer, like the union of the Milky Way with Andromeda Galaxy.  Certainly in the future, when Diwali is honored as much as Hanukkah in the United States, the world will be different place.  Maybe someday the US Post Office will finally issue Diwali themed Postage Stamps?  No doubt, we will see that day.

Diya Lamp Image Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali#/media/File:Diya_necklace_Dipavali_Diwali_November_2013.jpg

The state flag of Virginia being Hanukized makes harmonious sense, since West Virginia has been North Polarized with the Christmas Spirit.  The concord being that Virginia represents the Original Testament of Virginia, while West Virginia is the New Testament to a New Virginia.  You can see the Holiday Santatastic Flag of West VA here!

Christmas North Polarized Flags for West Virginia and Wyoming

Merry Christmas!  It is that time again when two select flags get decked out with the Holiday Spirit.  In this case the chosen two were West Virginia and Wyoming.  These two flags are connected in a special providential way, as fraternal flag partners.  Besides starting with the letter W, both states are home to mountaineers.  On the fly-right side of the flag, they both have men with pick-axes and are standing in a unique American heraldic style. 

The key link with flags is the border or frame, that connects these two states of the Mountain on the East Coast and the West Coast.  No doubt, many a West Virginian would find Wyoming very welcoming, and vice versa.  West Virginia is the penultimate state created during the US Civil War in the mother of all states, Virginia.  Coincidentally Wyoming was the last state to be named after the Civil War.  Consequently West Virginia carries the deepest of scars from that war amongst brothers, yet Wyoming is completely new, born in an America after the end of slavery.  Likewise Wyoming was also created at a major cultural revolutionary point, whereby both genders were given the right to have their voices heard and lead.

Like the other Holiday US State Flags, holiday designs on the seals are set to night.  In this case two elves appear on the West Virginia flag.  Next to the hoist-left elf is a red wagon with a doll in red wagon, a giraffe, and a rocking horse.  Next to the fly-hoist elf are two big play balls, two teddy bears, and a wrapped purple present.  Instead of guns crossed with a liberty cap, we have two long trumpets with a Santa hat.  Likewise the state motto is missing, replaced by trumpet banners that announce "JOY" and "NOEL."

For Wyoming, the Bison has been replaced with a Camel.  In the seal the Equal Rights Goddess is dressed as the Christmas Shepherd's Angel harking to the shepherds, pointing out the Star of Bethlehem.  The two supporting men are dressed, of course, as shepherds.  Again the pick-axe has been turned into a shepherd's crook while the rope is now a shepherd's whistle.   

 Below are the official flags next to holiday designs for comparison.  Merry Ho, Ho, and may the spirit of peace visit your heart.

California Republic Rabbit Flag

The California Bear gets his bunny on!

Cali'California Republic Flag

Like the lights on planes and boats for left and right for rather hoist and fly, this is a double sided bear.

Son of Man, Son of Pear-Bear Republic

Son of Man in California, based upon a surrealist painting, we have the California Style, but not a
green apple, yet a greenish pear, how so fair!



 Son of Man came out in 1964!  Painted by Belgian waffle lover, who loved to read the books of Ann of Green Gables.

But one of the painters skills was the ability to balance fruit on his tongues.  Yep, that's right this man-person had multiple tongues, like any good Belgian.

Some say he had a nose piece with a stud on it, upon which you could stick on various items including cheese and crackers.

Fun California Flag - The Californuuuia Republic Flag

This is what happens when you reach for the stars, you get a long neck!

Newest California Republic Flag

This flag is based upon the New California Flag, which is based upon the official California flag.  Basically after the New California Republic fell after the great robot war, the Newer California Republic arose from its ashes a hundred years later, but decked out in 1980s style of thinking and style.   But then the robot on robot wars arose 50 years after the Newer California Republic.  From those ashes arose the Newest California Republic.

Humans wrongly assumed all robots would get along - so false.  Robots-AI would fight each other for human slaves and made every effort to convert or convince cyborgs to join their side.  Robots with the most diversity of cyborgs usually got the edge.  The Newest California Republic included area from Alaska, Eastern Russia, and Chile.

It is theorized that the traces of AI-Robot on AI-Robot violence stemmed from the Apple vs Droid platforms.  Humans, like cyborgs, are programmed with certain patterns that cause humans to become attached and defend their particular tech.

Already in present day times, a few humans have exhibited partisan and violent tendencies in defense of their preferred tech be it Apple, Droid, X-Box, PlayStation, or something else.  Some believe this is due to the tachyon impulses from the AI-robots from future of the Newest California Republic. 

Newer California Republic Flag

There is only room for one more, the 'NEWEST CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC.'

Star Wars Ewok Rebel Alliance Republic Flag

May the Scwartz be wit youz!  Believe it or not, but there are many persons like myself that are completely happy with the Ewoks.  Lucas made the right choice.  And yes, if you had millions of natives fight the Empire and with the force on your side, those troops and walkers are coming down. 

And the last words of the original movie from 1983 were not "He's my brother." It was an Ewok that spoke and it was the Ewoks that sung!

Thanksgiving Massachusetts Native and Newcomer Flags

Happy Thanksgiving!  This year the Massachusetts flag has been culturally reversed.  Instead of featuring a Native American, we now have a Newcomer American of the English stock fancying his way into this land. 

The Newcomer Pilgrim-Massachusetts Flag

The Culturally Reversed Massachusetts Flag

Thanksgiving is a holiday which commemorates the friendship and union of Natives of the New World and Newcomers from the Old World.  In honor of this holiday we have the flag of Massachusetts and a modified version.  The official Massachusetts features an Indigenous American with a bow and arrow, but in a new version we have a pilgrim with a walking stick and Bible.  In addition, the white star is now a white cross.  As with the flag of Oklahoma that has six brown crosses, in many Native American traditions the cross is a symbol that represents a star rather than a method of execution.

The Newcomer-Massachusetts flag is a twice modified flag.  The original version was first presented to vexillologists around the world at the 2009 International Congress of Vexillology in Yokohama.  Peter Orenski gave a thought provoking paper on Controversial Indian [Native American] Symbols on U.S. State Flags.  In an effort to put the proverbial red man's moccasin on the white man's foot, Orenski placed a pilgrim on the shield and replaced the frontier man's sword with a red man's tomahawk. 

Official Massachusetts Flag

But with my modifications, a Native American version of a star is in the canton position of the shield, which is the white plus symbol.  Also, the arm matches the posture, coming out of the heraldic wreath.  Orenski's version had the hand off set 90 degrees.  Finally, my version has a red field, while Peter's version had white shield for the Pilgrim.

 Dr. Orenski was one of the primary voices in vexillology, who recently passed away last year.  He is sorely missed and was a great inspiration to everyone connected to vexillology.  Originally from Romania, Peter was a bright star in vexillology. This flag is for Peter.  I am ever grateful for his work, as vexillologist who lives in his afterglow.

You can see Peter Orenski's paper here, with original Pilgrim Flag:
http://www.manataka.org/page1189.html

Newcomer and Native Designs for the Flag of Massachusetts Compared

Klingon Republic - California Style

Here is the California flag with a Klingon Targ, which is sort of like a Klingon Boar.  If you didn't know, Klingon's are fictional aliens in the Star Trek Universe.  They are a rather warlike species and its seen in way of all things Klingon.

Here is the flag with Klingon Script on the California flag. It reads phonetically "Qalighrnya Republiq." Also the star has been changed into the Klingon Emblem.

National Geographic Society Flag in Different Languages

In French this is what the flag should look like.

National Geographic Society in Japanese, at least this is one way when translating directly to meaning instead seeing the concepts of National, Society, and Geography and foreign.

This is the Thai Version of National Geographic Society.

In Hebrew we have National Geographic Society.

National Geographic Society in Korean.

National Geographic Society in Russian.

In Sanskrit we have the National Geographic Society Flag.

 National Geographic in Georgian Script.

 National Geographic Society in Klingon!

African-American St. Louis Pride Flag

The St. Louis African-American Pride takes the official flag of St. Louis and changes it with Pan-African Colours.

African-American Mississippi Pride Flag

Like the African-American flag designed by David Hammons, the African-American Mississippi Pride flag takes the official flag and modifies it with Pan-African colours.  In this case, the intensity of the flag seems to invert and speaks of Black Pride. Yellow is added and gives the flag a Jamaican flavor.  Usually the colour red is conserved in Hammons-type flags, but only the bottom red band is maintained to remind us that blood is red in all peoples.  And note, the Jamaican flag has a yellow cross and no stars, also the left and right wings are black.  However the green and black wings are reversed, to distinguish this flag from Jamaica and Dominicana; yet it allows a connection to be noticed. 

Dominica is the little sister of Jamaica who everyone always overlooks and mistakes for the Dominican.  Like Jamaica they speak English in the Dominica, but in the Dominican they speak Spanish.

But remember, many African-Americans are double transplants.  Perhaps the most popular doubly seasoned transplant of America is the Scotch-Irish, who were originally from Scotland, then moved to Ireland, and then moved to the USA.  Likewise this flag pays homage to the double transplant of Afro-Caribbean Americans who were originally from Africa, then transplanted to the Caribbean and then to the USA.

Like the Scotch-Irish Americans, the Afro-Caribbish Americans are an essential and delicious element of American Pie.

African-Christian Church Flag

The African-Christian Church flag is based upon the regular Christian Church flag, but with Pan-African colours.  Like the Hammons African-American flag, the colour red is conserved and Kwanzaa colours of red and black are included.  Red is always conserved because the blood every Christian is always red, regardless of skin tone.

The popular Christian flag has a field of white with a blue canton and red cross.  The unity point between these two flags is the red cross.

African-Israel Pride Flag

The African-Israel Pride flag takes the Pan-African colours and unites it with the flag of Israel.  Perhaps the most famous African-Israelite was Sammy Davis Jr.  Likewise the are many Black-Israelites who live in Dimona, Israel. 

The central star sparkles with red edges and yellow center. Although these Hebrews have black skin in the their hearts, they are deeply connected to Judaism by faith and blood.

Georgia African-American Pride Flag

The Georgia African-Amerian flag takes is based upon the official flag but with colours derived from David Hammons' federal African-American flag.  The important thing is that the colour red is conserved, while black replaces white and green replaces blue.

It is important to keep the red as it is since the colour of blood is independent of ones ethnic background.

African-American California Flag

The African-American California flag replaces white with black.  The colours of the Pan-African movement can be seen, as on David Hammons' African American flag.

African-Chinese Heritage Flag

Black-Chinese are certainly rare, nonetheless the African-Chinese heritage flag is based upon Pan-African colours.  Only the single yellow star of China is conserved.  They are something of sensation in China. 

African-Chile Pride Flag

The African-Chilean pride flag is based upon the African-American flag as designed by Mr. Hammons, David.  In this case the only colour conserved is red, since blood does not care about race.  All peoples have red blood, no matter the skin tone.

And yes, there is small population of Chilean-African Americans. 

African-Brazil Pride Flag

The African-Brazil pride flag uses the Pan-African colours to convey the message, but maintains the pattern of the official Brazilian flag.

African-French Pride Flag

The African-French pride flag adds Pan-African colours to the center stripe.  France is probably the most sensitive nation aware of African issues.

African-German Pride Flag

The African-German heritage flag combines the flag of Germany with Pan-African colours.

African-Russian Pride Flag

The African-Russian heritage flag takes the flag of Russia and adds Pan-African colours.  Believe it or not, there are several thousand Black-Russians who came to the Russia during the Cold War.  They were recruited when the world was at war.  Usually their parents were from war-torn Africa, and they were born in Russia.

They are often treated like exotic people, yet speak perfect Russian yet are African.  Consequently we have the African Russian Flag. 

African-Bermuda Pride Flag

The African-Bermuda pride flag uses the Pan-African colours, but maintains the pattern of the official Bermudan flag.

African-Irish Flag

The Black-Irish Pride flag replaces the white with black, likewise the clover is present to show its connectivity to the flag of Ireland.

African-European Flag

Yeah, it sounds weird.  But there are many African-European people who are ignored by much in the media.  But surely you have seen a black person with a British or Scottish accent?  Well at least that person was born in the EU, when the UK was still a part of the EU.  Nonetheless there are many African-black people who were born and bred in Europe who speak perfect German, Swedish, and Italian.

The colours of the flag are based upon the Pan-African flag, which are black, green, and red.