The flag of Easter Island, a special territory of Chile, was first flown in public alongside its parent nation’s flag on 9th May 2006.
Adorning its white background is a red Reimiro, an ornament worn around the chest.
The Indiana University Art Museum says: “The Reimiro was worn by both men and women. It served as an insignia of high rank, and the paramount chief of the island was said to have worn two of them as pectorals and two others on his shoulders on special occasions. The crescent shape may refer to the moon, an association found throughout Polynesia. The significance of the heads is unknown, though they may relate to ancestors.”
Bonus Facts: Easter Island is known as Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) in Spanish and Rapa Nui (Big Rapa) in Polynesian. Dwarf Planet Makemake’s name comes from the creator of humanity in Rapa Nui mythology. Makemake was discovered just after Easter 2005, and the first European contact with Easter Island was on Easter Sunday 1722 by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen. Makemake’s code name was “Easter Bunny”.
Alex Crouch is a 2014 journalism graduate from Southampton Solent University. He has followed Formula One since before he started infant school, was a Games Maker during the London Paralympics and saw Pink Floyd reunite for one song at The O2 in London. Links: Twitter, blog, YouTube. Alex is an accredited Flag Institute journalist.
