How is the Swedish flag designed and why?

Have you ever been to Sweden? It is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. Being the largest, it is a great country to visit! Do you know that this nation has a long history with a bundle full of customs and traditions? The Swedish flag has its uniqueness and appearance and looks very pleasant. If you’re a citizen of Sweden, you must have seen the frequent presence of the Swedish flag on birthdays, and other events. Swedish people feel very proud about their country therefore they remind themselves about the patriotism they have for Sweden.

If you have an interest in learning about the Swedish flag, look no more! This article will provide all the information you need to know. Let’s explore all about this beautiful flag.

History and Origin

According to Wikipedia, the design of this Swedish flag has been in effect since the reign of King John III in 1569. It means that the flag was already in use before even the King’s reign. Therefore, no one can predict the exact age of the Swedish flag. The research of some linguists indicates that during the 12th century, King Eric IX saw a golden cross in the sky as he landed in Finland. It was the period of the First Swedish Crusade in 1157. Seeing this, he decided to use the symbol as a sign from God. He adopted the golden cross against a blue background as his banner.

Some suggestions say that the Sweden origin legend reflects a parallel origin story of the Danish flag. The Swedish flag dates back to the middle of the 16th century. Now, this theory indicates the origin of this flag during the reign of King Charles VIII. He introduced the coat of arms of Sweden in 1442. Some of you might not know about the coat of arms. The national coat of arms is a combination of King Albert’s national coat of arms of 1364 and King Magnus III’s coat of arms of 1257. And its blue breaks down quarterly by a golden cross pattee. Want to know more about Swedish history, check this out.

How is the Swedish flag designed and why?

Many experts and historians say that the Swedish flag is originally inspired by the Danish flag. If you are not familiar with this flag (it is the flag that features the Nordic Cross). Though there is no exact origin and age of the Swedish flag, the ancient records of this flag indicate a blue cloth with a yellow cross dating back to the early 16th century. The first legal description of the flag was made in a royal warrant of 19 April 1562 as ‘yellow in a cross fashioned on blue’. The yellow cross symbolizes the Swedish battle standards and banners. The Nordic Cross flag is the most common design for the flags in the world.

Virtually, almost all Nordic countries have a version of the emblem these days. It also represents Christianity which was spread all around the country. According to the royal warrant of 6 November 1663, the triple-tailed flag was used only as a state flag and military ensign. There is a whole long story to how this flag was created described in the history section. The triple-tailed flag also became the Swedish naval jack. When the Swedish royal flag became similar to the square-cut civil-military ensign, all private use of the triple-tailed flag was prohibited. The blue flag was used only until 1813. The merchant ensign flag has been in use since the 14th century unofficially on merchant ships.

Swedish flag colors

Some historians believe that there is no gold color in this flag before 1420. But it was very hard to confirm this belief. They say that the golden color only emerged during King Gustav’s reign but some still believe in it. The Aland Islands also feature blue and gold in their flag alongside the cross of red. The Aland flag also familiarizes the Swedish flag because it is under Swedish rule. According to experts, golden, yellow, and blue are the traditional colors of Sweden. Some historians suggest that the royal coat of arm choices and dynasties in Sweden uses golden and blue in their banner long before the Swedish flag was official.

The national flag of Sweden has recognition of yellow and blue colors. Though the flag is very simple in terms of design it is something that grabs a lot of attention of viewers and visitors. The bright yellow and blue colors of the Swedish flag indicate the bold choice for the country. The historians who have searched a lot about this flag have understood that even the flags of the nations have a deeper meaning to them. The sky blue field of this royal flag represents loyalty, justice, truth, and vigilance, almost all the positive and great things that can be associated with the blue through color psychology. On the other hand, the golden and yellow cross (which is in the center of the emblem), apparently represents generosity rather than wealth.

Being the Royal Flag

The king and queens use a royal flag with the greater Swedish coat of arms. But the other member uses it with a lesser coat of arms. Both of these flags and the triple-tailed flag rise at the Royal Palace. On the naval ships, the flag of the king raises together with the split pennant. But it was under prohibition by the private ships in 1756. The private ships did a contract by Royal Mail to fly a double-tailed flag. The version of the union mark uses common naval jacks by the navies of both countries, and as their common diplomatic flag.

There are various ways to use the Swedish flags depending upon whether you’re part of the royal family or not. The state and civil flag are the standard rectangular flag that you know pretty well know. In the 1980s, the Swedish Marshall gave a whole series of decisions that states some rules about how people should be able to use the royal flag of Sweden.

Usage outside Sweden

The Swedish flag appears in the coat of arms of Finland province Southwest Finland. The historical flags of Wilmington and Delaware in the United States are modeled after the Swedish flag in remembrance of the short-lived colony of Sweden, with the cross affixed with the seal of the city. The flags of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania are vertical triband rather than Nordic Cross because it also lies within the historic New Sweden.

Most Scandinavian flags share a similar appearance because of the Nordic Cross. The history of Scandinavian flags dates back to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway as well as that of Finland and Iceland. You can find resemblance in the flag of Verona (Italy) and the Swedish flag in terms of colors and features. The former flag has an asymmetric yellow cross, though the similarities between the two flags are maybe historically unrelated. The defense ministries also fly this flag, while civil ministries fly square flags.

Rules for displaying the flag

If you use a stand-alone flag-pole, the size of the official flag is suggested to have a width equal to the fourth of the height of the pole. But if you use a flagpole extended from the building, the size of the flag should have a width equal to one-third of the height of the pole. The times and rules for raising and lowering of the Swedish flags according to the royal standard are as follows:

• Between 1 March and 31st October, the flag can be raised from 8:00 am.
• Between 1 November and 28/29 February, the flag can be raised from 09.00 am.
• The lowering of the flag occurs at sunset but the latest 09.00 pm.
• If the flag is lit with bright lights, it is not necessary to lower it.

If the current flag seems no longer in presentable condition, you should get rid of it respectfully or return it to the manufacturer for disposal.