this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2023
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My ex from Norway mentioned how unusual it was that so many places and people here fly our flag (USA), so I was curious to hear what it's like for others here on the fediverse.

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[–] TXinTXe@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 years ago (5 children)

I'm from Spain, it's not uncommon unfortunately, but that's because the flag is appropriated by the right and far right and if you see someone with one you can be 90% sure of the type (homophobe, anti abortion, bullfighting supporter, climate change denier, etc etc)

[–] minorsecond@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago (6 children)

It has become that way in the US.

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[–] Sinnz@feddit.de 3 points 2 years ago

Could say the same about Germany

[–] ErikDegenerik@lemmy.one 2 points 2 years ago

Everything except bullfighting goes for Croatia too, mostly.

[–] KrimsonBun@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

Also from Spain, I don't think the right hasreally appropriated the flag since it's always been a rightist flag. But yeah I know what you mean.

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[–] balthasar1stern@feddit.de 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I am from Germany and no one is raising a flag. Except he is a Nazi. Or it is soccer World Championship.

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[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Unless it's the world cup you're assumed to be a shithead

[–] manned_meatball@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

can confirm

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's weirdly common in Denmark. People fly the national flag for birthdays, and some people even decorate the Christmas tree with flag guirlandes. It's seen as an act of celebration rather than patriotism.

https://tenor.com/bRmME.gif

[–] v_krishna@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

OP sounds strange to me I feel like all Scandinavians have their flag a lot, on birthday cakes and for graduations and such. I definitely experienced this in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

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[–] druppel 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

About 3 days per year I think

[–] snota@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

In the UK it's very unusual unless it's football or royal related. The union flag, the Welsh flag and the Scottish flag are ok most of the time but the England flag is seen as being a bit racist.

[–] bigbluealien@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

Would be nice if it was reclaimed from the football hooligan/EDL types, but the union flag serves well enough

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[–] esm@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In Scotland, it tends to indicate your political beliefs. People flying the Union Jack are normally unionists and supporters of the monarchy, whereas people flying the Saltire (Scottish) flag are normally nationalists (pro-independence). It's therefore difficult to fly a flag 'neutrally' unless you were to fly both.

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[–] loops@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Canada here, not very common until you get close to Canada day or Armistice day. Recently though; there have been people flying it a lot and they mostly seem to be the conspiracy/queen of Canada types.

So yes, it is unusual. Perhaps it can be seen as a symptom of American nationalism, and all the pitfalls it represents.

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[–] NuclearDolphin@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

From the US, I see American flags everywhere.

Some small towns have a flag on every electrical pole on their main street. It used to just be around Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but a lot of towns seem to be leaving them up year round.

A huge proportion of houses in US suburbs and rural areas have flags flying. If you have wealth or a big chunk of land, it's pretty certain you also have a flag flying or prominently displayed on your property. Less frequent on the porches of more modest homes.

Pickup trucks fly flags (sometimes multiple) attached to their beds. These trucks often also have punisher stickers, human skulls, or "thin blue line" flag stickers on them.

Most medium to large businesses have a flag pole on their campus.

I definitely see fewer flags in cities, but still see a lot of flag stickers on storefront windows, and flags in apartment bedroom windows.

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[–] animist@lemmy.one 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

My country is a former colony of an imperial power so it's flown all the time to reinforce our feeling of sovereignty

[–] planetaryprotection@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Are you in the US? 😁

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[–] eezeebee@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

I'm in Canada and would say it's not extremely common, but enough so that I wouldn't think twice if I saw the flag on a house. Maybe one in fifty houses has one.

Sometimes it's on clothing too, but nowhere close to the extent that I've seen the American flag on everything when I've visited. You guys seem to really really like your flag!

We also have provincial flags which people will put on their houses, but the one I see most is for Newfoundland and Labrador, which is a different province than mine. It's arguably close to as common as the Canadian flag.

Yup. I'd say the Canadian flag isn't super common but isn't out of the ordinary. I also don't see people waving the flag and think the person must be some extremist nut job. Those ones are waving around "F*ck Trudeau" flags.

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I am from Philadelphia, PA, USA. Nobody in my neighborhood have a flag on their yard. I tend to see lots of flags when I travel through rural areas. People with pickup trucks seems obsessed with flags on their car.

[–] kersploosh@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

American here. When I was in Sweden it felt like their flag was everywhere. Maybe I just noticed it more because I was traveling.

In Brazil I saw their flag plastered on a lot of stuff - clothes, bags, painted on the street - but not so much flying on flag poles.

I see fair amount of US flags here at home, usually at government buildings, cemeteries, and the like. When flown at homes I usually assume the person is on the political right.

[–] levochemist@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

In the US, almost all private residences flying the US flag are on the right. The flag is almost a sign of being aggressively complacent with the current status of the US. It would be nice if the US was more like Sweden and less divided but as it stands you can almost certainly guarantee that the only people flying flags are conservative.

[–] Jimi_Hotsauce@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

When I went to Norway I counted the flags I saw. I forget the exact number but I saw maybe 6 in the week I was there. Come back to the US I saw at least 20 coming back from the airport.

[–] TheBananaKing@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Australian here. Outside of official government uses, it's generally a sign that someone is a racist fuckwit.

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[–] aragon@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

I am from India. It was illegal to fly the flag untill a decade ago. It took a supreme court verdict to get the right to fly the flag in private residences. So it is not common at all. You would see government buildings and some schools hoist the flag every day. In my school it was every Friday. I have walked around suburbs in US and almost every house had a flag in their porch. Very big ones too.

[–] marshell@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

German here. No, we don't do that here. (Exceptions: Football World Cup and weird dudes on camp sites or allotment gardens. Usually a sign to avoid the area.) Interestingly, the fascists don't show the German flag, but the one from the Germany before the current one...

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[–] reflex_aliens@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Very common in Mexico during September. Otherwise not that common but also not frowned upon. There's no significance behind it.

[–] NuclearDolphin@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] Emilio2000@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago

September 16 1810, Mexico’s Independence Day from Spain.

[–] Hyacathusarullistad@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Here in Canada (southwestern Ontario, anyway) it's around, but not super common. You see it on government buildings (municipal, provincial, and federal), but that's about it. You don't often see it on people's homes, vehicles, or businesses the way you see in the States, and it's not something you see on merch very often outside of tourist traps or Canada Day.

Except, ironically, for at some of the bigger and more famous American retail chains. Walmart and Home Depot both have a Canadian flag planted firmly in every location, it seems. Maybe because they're so used to flying their own flag in the States that they just assume it's what everyone does everywhere?

[–] myslsl@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

I'm from the western US. It's not unusual here but when I see it I usually assume the person doing it is a weirdo.

[–] aaitvedan@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

It was uncommon in The Netherlands. Except on certain holidays. And when kids get a high school diploma: a flag plus school bag.

But since last year, angry farmers β€˜decorated’ the country with flags hung upside down to protest against environmental measures. All kinds of angry right wing people followed.

[–] witchonabike@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

In Germany, official government buildings will have the flag on or in front of it, usually next to a bunch of other (eu, county, city...).

Private citizens will fly the flag for sports reasons, or in more right-wing communities they'll fly either the official flag or the old black-white-red one from empire times. Most people will look at you funny for flying the flag when no sports or eurovision are/is going on.
There is really very little "neutral" ground here.

[–] Johnnyline@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In the UK, you generally don't see people flying the Union Jack unless its a major sporting event, or its a major governmental sort of building.

[–] bazpoint@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

If anything, you're probaby more likely to see the English, Scottish or Welsh (or NIish I assume, but never been there) flags than the Union Jack. Because the different nations have their own football teams (and other sports too), so they come out for the big international tournaments and some stay flying in between.

[–] Steeltooth493@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

CGP Grey made a YouTube video on proper US state flag design etiquette that I personally agree with. Spoiler alert, most states failed the test.
https://youtu.be/l4w6808wJcU

I'm from Indiana and we're more likely to see our national flag instead of our state flag here, but Indiana isn't known for much anyway.

[–] TheButtonJustSpins@infosec.pub 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I lived in MD for a few years. The flag is everywhere. You can always tell someone from MD, no matter where you are, because the flag is incorporated into their clothing. I've never seen anything like it from anywhere else.

[–] OurTragicUniverse@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

The US state of Maryland.

[–] DrJeckyl@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I assume Maryland USA .

[–] Rashnet@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

I'm in Maryland and unsurprisingly have the state flag flying right now lol. It's the only flag I usually have on the flag pole.

[–] Dandroid@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

As a Texas resident, I see more Texas flags than USA flags. Texas flags are everywhere here.

[–] kaffiene@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm a New Zealander. I don't see anyone flying a NZ flag in Dunedin, where I live. I may have seen one or two in private residences in my life. Flying flags is weird. Nationalism sucks.

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