The current Mississippi state flag was first adopted in 1894, but was repealed in 1906 and later reinstated in April 2011. The flag is unique as it is sole remaining state flag to bear the Confederate battle flag's saltire in the upper left corner. The remainder of the flag is occupied by 3 stripes in red, white and blue.
Mississippi Flags
Mississippi Flag
The United States Flag Store is your premier choice for the newly updated Mississippi state flags. The new design is a beautiful reimagining of the southern state's flag. We offer these in nylon, super knit and polyester variations. All are wonderful quality, and you would be hard pressed to find a better product for this price. We offer stick flags, which are great for parades, festive events and political gatherings. We also have the classic 3' x 5' size flags and Mississippi flagpole kits. Be sure to check out our other State Flags here.
Mississippi Flag Design(s), Symbol and History- Why did Mississippi change their old flag and what is the new flag?
The new design of the Mississippi state flag we see today is one of the most recent renditions to make its way into the Union. This was brought into effect in the beginning of 2021, six months after the old flag was retired. The older design featured the Confederate Battle flag in the canton (upper left) of the design. This flag was pushed to be changed shortly after the George Floyd protests that took place around the country.
The most prominent feature of this flag would have to be the white magnolia blossom in the center. This is located in the middle of what is known as a Canadian Pale, which merely means its middle band of the tricolor band design covers half the length of the flag versus a third, The Canadian Pale is blue with gold edges, the words, "In God we trust," and 21 white stars encircle the magnolia. The northernmost star of the 21 stars is made of five diamonds and is gold in color. There is a red field for the outermost bands.
What does the Mississippi flag mean?
The magnolia at the center of the Mississippi flag has long been a symbol of the state. The Magnolia is both the Mississippi state tree as of 1938 and the state flower. A magnolia tree also appears in the center of the state's first flag. The magnolia is white and in this renewal is to stand for hospitality, hope and rebirth. The colors of the Mississippi state flag are reminiscent of the colors of the American flag. They are red for hardiness and valor, blue or old glory blue for vigilance, justice and perseverance and gold which is a gesture to the heritage of the state of Mississippi. The 20 white stars are said to represent Mississippi's admittance into the Union as the 20th state. The gold star composed of five diamonds is an older symbol used to represent the Native American people, the original inhabitants of Mississippi. In God we trust," has long been a motto in the United States of America.
Magnolia- The Magnolia Flag was the first official State flag of Mississippi introduced in 1861. This flag had a magnolia tree in the center of a white field with a red border and a smaller blue field with a single white star. The blue field was located in the upper left corner of the white field.
In God we Trust- This is the official motto of the United States of America. This phrase is currently used on most physical forms of U.S. currency, paper and coins. This is also the state motto of Florida and is used in some form within Georgia and Mississippi state seals. There is a slew of unintended uses and recordings of the use of this phrase as a presence in U.S. history dating back to the late 1700's, however nothing substantial as far as being an official motto. It wasn't until the beginning of the Civil War era circa 1861 and 1862 do we start seeing this motto more. "In God we trust," was used by cavalries on both sides of the war on their flags and as adopted mottos. This phrase would make its first appearance on coins in 1864 towards the end of the American Civil War. There was a revival of its use thanks to Dwight Eisenhower in 1955, adopting it to all paper money.
When was the current Mississippi state flag adopted?
The current Mississippi state flag was just recently adopted in January of 2021.
Who made the new Mississippi flag design?
The new Mississippi state flag was a group effort in its creation. This new design saw Rocky Vaughan, a Mississippi native and resident, along with Sue Anna Joe from Greenwood and Kara Giles of Oxford. They are all graphic designers who brought certain elements to the design. Rocky would supply the core ingredients, Sue Anna Joe would draw up the design for the Magnolia and Kara Giles adjusted small aspects of the flag, most notably to the stamen in the magnolia.
Just for Fun
Mississippi is named after the Mississippi river. Its origins are from early settlers who used an Ojibwe word, misi-ziibi which means “Great River.”
The Magnolia State is a nickname for Mississippi.
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.
There were five final flags to the recent Mississippi flag, all of which contained the diamond star in one way or another, "In God we trust," and four of which had either the magnolia or magnolia tree.
The state motto is Virtute et armis or “By valor and arms.”
The blues music has its roots in the Mississippi delta, showing up as early as post-Civil War.
