Louisiana Flag

The Louisiana state flag was adopted in the current design in 2006, replacing the original design from 1912. The Louisiana flag has a dark blue background and displays a heraldic charge in its center. This heraldic charge is a pelican mother with her three young pelicans in her nest, feeding them from her blood. The pelican mother wounds herself to feed the young ones. This symbol of the pelican has a special name; it is called “pelican in her piety”. It is a Christian symbol showing charity and in this case also holds a relative the state bird (brown pelican) of Louisiana. This symbol found on the state flag of Louisiana is also on the state seal. Right below the pelican mother is a banner carrying the state motto of Louisiana “Union, Justice, and Confidence”. An old tradition starting in the 19th century showed the Pelican mother with three drops of blood on her chest and to keep this historical fact proper, the state legislature implemented this fact into the flag description and laws to prevent any further differences in that matter on Louisiana flags.

Before 1861 there was no official Louisiana state flag but most flags used as flags of Louisiana had similar designs as the later on adopted flag. In its history Louisiana has used other flags to represent itself. In the early years Louisiana sometimes used a flag based on the French national flag with a blue white and red tricolor with a star design in one of the corners.

In 1864 then, the Louisiana flag adopted back then had 13 red, white and blue stripes with a red square in the upper left of the flag. The red square displayed a big golden yellow star. But besides this flag, the pelican version of the flag was already unofficially in use.

Louisiana state flags can be bought at any of the many flag stores across the United States or with several good online retailers. More information on the Louisiana state flag can be found in history books, on the official pages of the state of Louisiana or with the state government of Louisiana. These same sources for more information also display Louisiana state flag pictures and other important facts. For educational purposes as with so many other flags, a Louisiana state flag coloring page exists and can be either bought or downloaded and printed from sources online. Louisiana’s state flag is proudly displayed in Louisiana’s capital Baton Rouge.