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What does the red in the spanish flag represent: flag of Spain | Britannica

The Spanish Flag | Erasmus blog Spain

Hi everyone. I think this blog entry of mine could be very interesting to you, since we live in a country where we often don’t know about important stuff.

The other day I was talking to my boyfriend, who’s Brazilian, in our room, and we were both looking at our countries’ flags, which were hanging on the wall. We’d put them up there to decorate the walls a bit, since they were very empty and I don’t have much money to spend on paintings and the like, and also because I think it’s a comforting thing to have in your room if you’re spending time away from your home country. 🙂

My boyfriend was telling me about what each individual part of the Brazilian flag symbolised, and he then asked me what the meaning behind the Spanish flag was. You should have seen my face when I realised that I knew next to nothing about my own country’s flag!

After this incident, I thought it would be interesting for Erasmus students and also other Spaniards who maybe don’t know what our flag means if I wrote a post explaining in detail where our flag comes from.

Starting with the colours, we all know that the Spanish flag consists of a red stripe at the top and at the bottom, and one yellow stripe in the middle, all horizontal. The yellow stripe is double the thickness of the red ones, and this is why it’s known as ‘la rojigualda‘ (‘the red and yellow flag’, sometimes used as a synonym for the adjective ‘Spanish’).

From what I’ve seen, there are numerous theories explaining the significance of these colours, but the most logical is that the red represents the blood spilled by the Spanish on their conquests and in defense of their country. The yellow, or gold, represents the riches the Spanish acquired on these conquests.

The coat of arms is formed of various parts:

  1. The first part is the crown we can see at the top, which symbolizes the Spanish monarchy. Perhaps everyone already knows this, but for those of you who don’t, this part of the coat of arms is called the ‘mark of honour‘.
  2. The second part is the two white columns we see on either side of the coat of arms. Red ribbon can be seen winding around these with the motto ‘Plus Ultra‘ written upon them, which means ‘further beyond‘ in Latin. These columns were incorporated into the Spanish coat of arts by Charles I, and they symbolise the Pillars of Hercules, the promontories which flank the entrance to the strait of Gibraltar; this is also the reason for the waves at the columns’ bases.

    If you look closely, you’ll see that there’s a golden crown on top of each column, which is the symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, a reference to our country’s history as part of this empire.

  3. The third part is the largest: the square in the centre, divided into four smaller quarters. These represent the Spanish medieval kingdoms.
    • The first, beginning in the top left hand corner, is the shield of the Kingdom of Castille, symbolised by a castle. This will probably be the one most familiar to you, as it features in several films.
    • The second, in the top right hand corner, is the shield of the Kingdom of Leon, logically symbolised by a lion wearing a crown.
    • The third, in the bottom left hand corner, is the shield of the Kingdom of Aragon, symbolised by red and yellow horizontal lines.
    • The final shield, in the bottom right hand corner, is the shield of the Kingdom of Navarre, symbolised by chains.

Beneath the shield, there is a a white area featuring a small flower. This is called the ‘Entado‘, and the flower is in fact a pomegranate (in Spanish a ‘granada‘), which of course symbolises the Kingdom of Granada.

Finally, in the centre of the coat of arms, the small shield with a blue background is called the ‘EscusĂłn‘ and is decorated with three fleur-de-lis in its centre. Especially known from the former coat of arms of France, these reference the coat of arms of the House of Anjou-Bourbon, of which the current Spanish royal family are members.

All About the Spanish Flag: History, Meaning, and Important Facts

The fifth-largest country in Europe, Spain has a varied geography and rich, colorful history. Historyplex provides interesting facts, history, and meaning associated with the flag of Spain.

Did You Know?

Since Spain is famous for bullfighting, an urban legend states that the color red on the national flag represents the blood of the bulls, and yellow represents the sand in the bull ring.

A flag is the identity and in some cases representative of a country’s vast history and culture. The Spanish flag is no exception, and the flag provides an interesting glimpse into the past, when kings and queens ruled and kingdoms prevailed. The name Spain is said to have been derived from the word Ispania, which means the land of rabbits.

The flag of Spain, known as la rojigualda (the red-weld), consists of three horizontal stripes, two red and one yellow, the yellow stripe being double the width of the red ones. It also has the Spanish Coat of Arms on the yellow stripe, placed towards the hoist. The color red is said to depict hardiness, strength, and bravery, whereas, the color yellow color depicts generosity. The flag was officially adopted in 1981.

History

â–ş The Spanish flag has undergone many changes over the centuries; back in the 16th century, the concept of a national flag was different to what we know today.

â–ş The Cross of Burgundy is one of the most prominent and earliest flags used in Spanish history. A white or yellow flag with the Cross of Burgundy placed at the center was used by the army, and it also appeared on Spanish regimental flags. Its earliest use dates back to the 15th century, and it remained in use till the 18th century. This flag was first introduced in Spain by Phillip the Handsome (Felipe el Hermoso), and the flag was used under his reign.

â–ş By the mid-16th century, when Spain was ruled by the House of Habsburg, each military company possessed its own flag, but when Phillip II, came to power, he ordered that each company should have one more flag with the Cross of Burgundy in red in addition to the previous one.

► In 1700, when Phillip V ascended the throne, he made certain changes on the royal arms, French Heraldists Charles-Rene d’Hozier and Pierre Clairambault designed the new arms for the king. He was the first king to give this country its own unified symbol, by placing the Cross of Burgundy and the Royal Coat of Arms on a white background, but it was not a national flag.

â–ş In 1760, Charles III chose a flag, it had 2 red stripes, and 1 yellow stripe in the middle, this flag was used for war purposes, and the flag selected for civil ensign or for merchant marine consisted of 5 stripes of yellow-red-yellow-red-yellow.

Flag of the First Republic

Flag of the Second Republic

► In 1873, following the abdication of King Amadeo I, Spain had its first experiment as a republic, which was short-lived―the monarchy was restored in 1874. In this short period, the flag of the First Republic consisted of the red and yellow stripes that we know of today, but the Coat of Arms contained only the lion and castle.

â–ş On 14th April, 1931, the Second Spanish Republic replaced the previous king, and changed the color of the flag. Now it was red, yellow and murray, this Republican flag was officially adopted on 27 April, and given to the army on 6th May. The State flag had a Coat of Arms on the middle stripe.

â–ş On 1st April 1939, when the Spanish Civil War ended, Francisco Franco became the dictator; however, in 1936, the red and yellow bi-color flag was again re-established as the flag of Spain, this flag was again replaced in 1938, by a flag which had the eagle of John the Evangelist, the pillars which are seen on the current flag was placed outside the wings.

â–ş The national Flag of Spain received its present day Coat of Arms in December, 1981.

Facts About the Flag

Coat of Arms

â–ş The symbols depicted in the Coat of Arms are as follows:

  • Castle represents the Kingdom of Castile.
  • The Lion represents the Kingdom of Leon.
  • Four Red and Five Yellow alternating, vertical stripes represent the Kingdom of Aragon.
  • Linked chains represent the Kingdom of Navarre.
  • Pomegranate fruit represents the Moorish Kingdom of Granada.
  • The two columns represent the Pillars of Hercules, Gibraltar and Cueta, they have “plus ultra” written across them, which means further beyond in Latin.

â–ş The left half of the flag is called the hoist, and the right half fly. Hoist is the act or function of raising the Spanish flag.

â–ş Grief and mourning is denoted by hoisting the flag half-mast, and at times, a black thread or ribbon is tied on the flag, and distress is denoted by hoisting the Spanish flag upside down.

â–ş The etiquette and rules regarding the Spanish flag are fairly strict. No disrespect is to be shown, and careful measures are undertaken to make sure that the flag is not torn, damaged, or soiled.

► The national flag of Spain should never be flown above or below any other country’s flag as it symbolizes superiority or inferiority.

â–ş The Civil flag can be used without The Coat of Arms.

â–ş You will find the Spanish flag flying only on government buildings.

â–ş The jura de bandera is a flag oath which took place every year, when Spanish youth completed their military service.

As we can see, the Spanish flag has undergone numerous transformations, and though a flag may look like a simple assimilation of colors, it has meaning and significance behind it.

What does the color of the flag mean on a Spanish beach?. Spain in Russian

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To avoid accidents on the beach, the Royal Spanish Lifeguard Federation recommends that holidaymakers pay attention to the color of the flag. Each color has its own meaning, and rescuers decide which one to use today or tomorrow. What do the colors of the flag on the beach mean?

The green flag says that there is no danger and the sea is ideal for swimming.

The yellow flag warns of strong waves or polluted water: you can swim, but do not swim far from the shore. Also, the yellow color of the flag can mean the presence of jellyfish in the sea, but in this case, an additional text message is usually given.

A red flag means that swimming is prohibited. Sometimes this prohibition applies only to the part of the beach that has its own signal system. The red flag is set when there are very large waves in the sea or there are other risks: dangerous bacteria in the water, animals (sea dragons, jellyfish and even sharks). Violators of the ban, who still decide to swim, will face administrative punishment.

The black flag is used very rarely: it means that due to a strong health risk, entry to the beach is prohibited. This usually happens after a storm that damaged the beach, when there is little sand and when for some reason you cannot swim in the water. For violation of the ban in this case, too, there is a punishment.

The Blue Flag is a very good sign. He tells you that you are on one of the best beaches in Spain. The “best” rating is not constant and changes every year, since not only the natural characteristics of the beach are taken into account, but also the services that various companies, shops, restaurants, etc. provide on the beach. Safety for vacationers and convenience of access roads are also taken into account.

Various flags are used to warn of jellyfish swimming near the beach. The Red Cross organization chooses a white flag with a jellyfish design, and on some beaches you will see a purple flag with a fuzzy silhouette. In any case, if you have doubts or questions, you can always ask them to the lifeguards or beach information service workers.

TR

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spain, safety, lifeguards, sea, beaches, swimming, holidays in spain, safety rules, alarm system

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