The flag of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

consists of a rectangular field of blue with the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

of Louisiana, the pelican vulning herself, in white in the center, with a ribbon beneath, also in white, containing in blue the state motto: "Union Justice Confidence." The flag was officially adopted July 1, 1912, and is often referred to as the Pelican flag.

History

As early as 1812 the

brown pelican The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mout ...

appeared on the Louisiana state seal, various

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

company

colors Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

, and uniform buttons. On July 1, 1912, the centennial of statehood, the State Legislature adopted the flag design depicting a pelican vulning herself. However, beyond stating that the pelican be rendered "in white," the 1912 law did not specify details about the design of the pelican, its number of chicks, or other details. This led to the bird's appearance varying. During the 19th century it was traditional on the state flag and seal for the pelican in her piety to have three drops of blood on her chest.Eagle-eyed eighth-grader prompts La. flag legislation
April 6, 2006 ''New Orleans Times-Picayune'' In later years, however, the tradition (on both the state flag and seal) was followed haphazardly followed, which was noticed by an eighth-grader at

Vandebilt Catholic High School Vandebilt Catholic High School is a private diocesan co-educational institution for grades 8-12 located in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana and in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. It is located in the unincorporated area of Bayou Cane ...

in Houma, who brought this to the attention of his state legislator. On May 25, 2006, a law was enacted requiring the flag to include "an appropriate display of three droops of blood" on the pelican's breast; however, it wasn't until November 22, 2010, that a formal redesign of the flag with standardized imagery was formally introduced. Baton Rouge artist Curtis Vann Jr., who was hired to design a standardized pelican for the updated flag, used a more realistic depiction of a brown pelican for his design, although rendered in white as required by law, but he also incorporated the brown pelican's yellow–brown crown. The design also specified an azure field and removed "and" from the banner beneath the pelican's nest.

First flag

On February 11, 1861, the state adopted a flag with a pale yellow star in a red canton and thirteen blue, white, and red stripes. The first flag was used until the end of the Civil War.

Symbolism

In medieval lore, pelicans were believed to be attentive to the needs of their chicks to the point of drawing their own blood to feed their chicks when no other food was available. This image of the pelican in her piety came to symbolize the Passion of Jesus and the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

. William C. C. Claiborne, the first governor of the

Orleans Territory The Territory of Orleans or Orleans Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from October 1, 1804, until April 30, 1812, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Louisiana. History In 1804 ...

, selected a pelican for the territory's first seal and it was a common state symbol prior to being formally adopted in 1912 as part of the state flag. The shape of the mother pelican's head and outspread wings covering the three chicks nestled below her also form a stylized

fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

, another emblem popular in Louisiana.

Pledge of allegiance

The Louisiana Pledge of Allegiance, adopted in 1981, is as follows:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the state of Louisiana and to the motto for which it stands: A state, under God, united in purpose and ideals, confident that justice shall prevail for all of those abiding here."

References

External links