Banner o Finland

The banner o Finland (, ), cried Siniristilippu ("Blue Cross Banner") an aw, dates frae the beginnin o the 20t century. On a white backgrund, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity. The state banner haes a coat o arms in the centre, but is otherwise identical tae the civil banner. The swallow-tailed state banner is uised bi the military. The presidential staundart is identical tae the swallae-tailed state banner but haes in its upper left corner the Cross o Liberty efter the Order o the Cross o Liberty an aw, which haes the Preses o Finland as its Grand Maister.
Lik Swaden's, Finland's naitional banner is based on the Scandinavian cross. It wis adoptit efter unthirldom frae Roushie, when mony patriotic Finns wantit a special banner for thair kintra, but its design dates back tae the 19t century. The blue colorin is said tae represent the kintra's thoosans o lakes an the sky, wi white for the snaw that covers the land in winter. This colour combination haes been uised ower the centuries in various Finnish provincial, military, an toun banners an aw.

 History 
The current blue-crossed design wis first uised in Finland bi Nyländska Jaktklubben, a yacht club foondit in Helsinki in 1861. In addition tae the blue cross on the white backgrund, the yacht club banner haed the crouned airms o the province o Uusimaa athin twa crossed branches in the upper hoist quarter. Except for the poseetion o the cross, the banner wis seemilar tae the banner o the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, foondit the previous year. The design can be traced tae the Roushie Navy ensign, which haes a blue cross saltire on a white backgrund.

Shortly efter Finland gained unthirldom in 1917, a competeetion wis held for the design o the Finnish banner. Several different designs wur submittit. Regardin the colours, the entries fell mainly intae twa categories - ane uisin the reid an yellae frae the Finnish coat o airms, an the ither uisin the present blue an white colours.

Ane entry haed the Dannebrog cross design, but wi a yellae cross on a reid backgrund. Anither entry haed diagonal blue an white stripes, but it wis criticized as bein mair suitable for a baurber shop than a newly-independent kintra.

 Ither banners 

 Relatit pages 
 Nordic Cross Banner
 Banner days in Finland
 Holidays in Finland
 Naitional anthem o Finland
 Hoosehauld pennants o Finland

 References 

Finland
Category:Banners o Finland
Category:Naitional seembols o Finland
Category:Nordic Cross banners