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The flag of the State of Utah was adopted in 2024 and consists of a horizontal tricolor with irregular bands of blue, white, and red. The middle white band contains a blue hexagon outlined in gold. Within the hexagon lies a gold-colored beehive, and below it sits a five-pointed white star.
History[]
The state's first flag was designed in 1903 and adopted in 1911; it features a monochrome white version of the state seal on a blue field. The current version, first adopted in 1913, uses a colored rendition of the seal, encircled by a gold ring. In 2011, a resolution was adopted to urge manufacturers to follow the statutory description of the flag from 1913, following the discovery that flags produced since 1922 had mistakenly placed the text "1847" below the shield instead of on it.[1]
In recent years, several attempts have been made to change the state flag. A 2019 bill proposed the adoption of a design by the Organization for a New Utah Flag, an organization founded by former gubernatorial candidate Richard Martin. Although the bill was rejected, a modified version of the flag was later officially adopted as a commemorative flag for the state's 125th anniversary in 2021.
More Than a Flag (2022–23)[]
In the same bill that established the commemorative state flag, a task force was created to receive public input and make a recommendation for a new state flag. In January 2022, the "More Than a Flag" initiative was launched, which invited Utahns to submit their flag designs and their ideas on how to represent the state. A longlist of twenty flags was revealed in September 2022 for public feedback, from which five finalists were selected and further iterated upon. The final design was revealed in November 2022 after a vote by the Utah State Flag Task Force.
The task force submitted the flag to the state legislature in January 2023, and a bill was created that would make the flag official on March 9, 2024. The bill was approved by the state's House of Representatives and Senate in March 2023 and signed into effect by the governor on March 21st, 2023, along with an Executive Order that directs both State Flags (historic and new) shall fly outside the capitol, that if flown on the same flag pole then the Historic one is higher and for the Historic State Flag to be flown on the capitol building all year round. (in essence this elevates the current blue flag to a more senior position and moves the newly designed state flag into one seen more as a civil flag function)
Proposals for a New Flag of Utah[]
Shown below are various designs that have been proposed for a new flag of Utah.
Most common symbolism[]
Beehive and honey bees[]
The beehive has been, at least since Roman times, a very meaningful symbol, being used in heraldry since Middle Ages. According to Freemasonry, the beehive is a symbol of industry, co-operation and dedication to work. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints adopted it with a similar symbolism.
In the language of Jaredites, a people described on Book of Mormon, the word "Deseret" means "honey bee". The Mormon community suggested the creation of the State of Deseret on an area that included the current state of Utah, but the federal government rejected the proposal and created the Territory of Utah on same area.
However, the beehive and the honey bees is still a symbol strongly related with Utah: a beehive is present in the state flag, state seal and highway marks; the beehive is the state emblem; Utah's official astronomical symbol is the "Beehive Cluster", its official insect is the honey bee, the state motto is "Industry" (a reference to the beehive's symbolism); and its unofficial nickname is "The Beehive State".
References[]
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