this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2025
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I have to laugh about the fact that half the flags are the wrong way around so here is a friendly guide.

It assumes the flag pole is on the left by the way.

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[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 19 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Sometimes, you just want to fly a flag upside down, knowing which way is up certainly helps with that! Probably not very popular as a statement in the UK, though, considering how subtle the visual effect is.

[–] Gladaed@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago

Not that subtle. Right flag is disturbing.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

Why is your flag orientable but difficult to tell‽

[–] TIN@feddit.uk 10 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Why is it not symmetrical though?

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

(I'm going to call them Xs because referring to them as saint's crosses or whatever can be confusing)

because if it were symmetrical, the white X would look like it's merely a border to the red, which is not supposed to be the case because it's a separate symbol.

there's also optical alignment at play. i didn't find much about this online but as a designer I've learned that diagonal lines, if broken by another object, can look weirdly crooked if perfectly aligned, so if you actually slightly misalign them you can make them look more straight. the red X here is broken, but it still looks centered rather than to the side of the white X.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

They did this to themselves.

[–] OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Because of the way it is! Duh!

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 2 points 1 month ago

To illustrate the equal partnership between England and Scotland. England gets the foreground, while Scotland gets the pride of place in top left corner.

[–] bear@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 month ago

It's because the part representing Scotland is elevated in heraldry over Northern Ireland.

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What percentage of Brits would recognize the "distress signal" of hanging flag upside down?

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That just means you need to put the kettle on, which as a Brit you will already be doing anyway.

[–] OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I trust someone named Nigel on this topic.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 1 month ago

Good old-fashioned common farmer don't you know.

[–] brashboy@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Literally thought it was rotationally symmetrical until I saw this post

[–] lugal@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago (4 children)

What's the punishment for hanging it the wrong way around?

[–] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 15 points 1 month ago

You have to house a fighting-age male immigrant in your shed.

[–] Stillwater@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 month ago

Straight to jail

[–] ShawiniganHandshake@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

When I worked at a historic site that flew the Union Flag, you had to run around the parade square three times if you screwed up while raising or lowering it. That included hanging it upside down or letting it hit the ground.

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There was a cell at the site but we mostly just pretended to lock tourists in it for pictures.

[–] the_mighty_kracken@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You get hanged the wrong way around

[–] OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] brashboy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Don't threaten me with a good time

[–] ramble81@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago

You just gave me a good way of looking at it. The stripes on the right side is the “right” way up. Now I’ll always remember which way it goes.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 6 points 1 month ago

This is why I scruffily daub England flags onto mini roundabouts.

I'm not sure who told the far right that flying a flag is anti-establishment. The fucking king flies them for fucks sake.

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 6 points 1 month ago

I like how it is an interesting flag from an aesthetic point of view. So intricate and detailed. Unlike most tricolours. It even works in black and white pretty well.

I acknowledge, however, the political and historical controversies it carries. Not trying to undo that.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How are you supposed to even tell from a distance? In America hanging the flag upside down is used as a distress signal - how do y'all do it?

[–] echodot@feddit.uk -3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If it's been flown at all it's a sign of distress. It's something only racists do, to try and prove they're better then everyone else.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

You think any and all instances of a country's flag being flown means the person who put it up is racist? That seems like a bit of an extreme opinion.

Where I am, I see plenty of Scotland/Northumberland/Ukraine flags, interspersed with the occasional UK, England, and Palestine flag. Are all of these people who raised these flags racist/bigoted?

[–] blinfabian@feddit.nl 3 points 1 month ago

dude, that "no racism" flag youre holding is so racist

[–] DaGeek247@fedia.io 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What about hanging it vertically?

[–] brewery@feddit.uk 7 points 1 month ago

According to https://www.flaginstitute.org/pdfs/Flying_Flags_in_the_United_Kingdom.pdf:

Union Flag - If hung horizontally or vertically, the broad white diagonal should be uppermost in the top-left corner.

[–] heydo@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Believe it or not, straight to jail.

[–] OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

"Started at the bottom now we here". First red stripe in upper left is at the bottom.

[–] Brunbrun6766@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago
[–] milliams@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It depends on which side the flag poles is on.

[–] OldChicoAle@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Did you read the post, sir?

[–] milliams@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

It seems I did not, no. How embarrassing.

[–] Horsey@lemmy.world -1 points 1 month ago

Who cares about the idolatry of a flag?