Top Five for Sun Worshippers

Winter: shorter days, longer nights, the temperatures dip well below freezing, and the skies are frequently covered with snow-filled clouds. It's at this time of year that I most appreciate appearances from the sun, making the cold days feel a little less cold and depressing, giving out some much-needed Vitamin D, and melting some of the excessive ice and snow. To thank our life-giving star for its light and warmth, this list will include my five favourite flags that pay homage to the sun. There is a lot of flags depicting the sun, so this was a difficult list to compile! 

1. Flag of Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine

My favourite sun flag does not belong to a nation, but rather to a province in Eastern Ukraine, an eye-catching design of the sun rising over the Black Sea. This flag has been flown just about as close to the sun as it could get, planted by Ukrainian climbers on top of the world's highest mountain.   

2. Flag of Greenland

I love the flag of Greenland, a simple yet effective design, a red sun rising over a red ocean, surrounded by white ice. It is unique among the Nordic flags, being the only one without a Nordic Cross.

The flags of Japan ("the Land of the Rising Sun") and Bangladesh also have simple designs with a prominent red sun.

3. Flag of Argentina

The flag of Argentina is ideal for sun worshippers in the most literal sense. The "Sun of May" depicted on the flag is modelled after the Incan god of the Sun, known as Inti, worshipped by farmers in times past. A representation the sun god is also found on the flag of Uruguay.

4. Flag of Macedonia

 

"Today over Macedonia, is being born
the new sun of liberty.
Macedonians are fighting,
for their rights!"

-a verse in Macedonia's national anthem

 

5. Flag of Antigua and Barbuda

 

 

Just looking at the flag of Antigua and Barbuda makes me want to go there to escape the cold Canadian winter for a while. It's a perfect place to lay on the beach and sunbathe, well illustrated on the flag: the white representing sand, the blue representing water, and the golden sun representing the dawn of a new era.