New Zealand vs. Australian Flag: What's the Difference?

 The New Zealand flag is a symbol of the government, realm and the people of New Zealand. Those of you who love your country can have one flown in your homes or on your balconies every day, however, this flag should be specially flown on important days like all national commemoration days like Anzac Day. It can also be flown on important sports games and competitions and other important days. The most important thing to know about national flags New Zealand as well is that they should be treated with respect since the main purpose of flags is to represent people and the country's culture.

For those of you who want to have one in your home so that they can fly it on important days, especially when watching a game, you can choose from the large selection of flags ranging in sizes and types. When in the search for a flag, handwaver flags and toothpick flags for watching a game with friends for instance, first you should know that the New Zealand and the Australian flags are quite similar, so understanding their differences is a must in order not to make a mistake.

All You Need to Know About the New Zealand Flag

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When comparing these unique national flags New Zealand has a deep blue background and the Union Jack which gives a hint of the country's connection with the United Kingdom. On this flag, you can see four red starts each of which has five points that symbolise the Southern Cross constellation. This flag doesn't contain the Commonwealth Star and its four stars are styled differently than the stars in the Australian flag to resonate with the country's unique identity. The red colour on its four stars reflects the country's indigenous Maori culture and heritage which is unique and special to New Zealand. These four red stars with white borders are in contrast to the white Australian stars.

Maori originated with settlers from East Polynesia who came to New Zealand between the period of 1320 and 1350. They settled on the coast and lived in small tribal groups and they developed a unique culture with their very own and unique language, distinctive crafts and rich mythology.

An interesting fact about this country and its flag is that in 2016 a referendum was held in which the government asked New Zealanders to choose between the current flag and a new one with a fern given the fact that silver fern has been accepted as a symbol of New Zealand's national identity since 1880. However, New Zealanders have chosen to use the old flag with the Union Jack and stars from 1902.

Aside from buying the official flag of New Zealand, you can still buy and use the Silver Fern flag because this is considered an unofficial country's flag, and a lot of people and sports teams use it as part of their official merchandise. So whether watching cricket, netball, rugby or anything else, you can buy and use different types of flags and handwavers.

All You Need to Know About the Australian Flag

The most interesting thing is that the Australian flag as well has a deep blue background with the Union Jack placed in the top left corner which shows the connection between Australia and the United Kingdom. Unlike the flag of New Zealand, this one has a seven-pointed star right below the Union Jack which is known as Commonwealth Star. Just like the New Zealand flag, this one also has stars on its right side that symbolise the Southern Cross constellation and they guide travellers and are quite important for Australian history and culture.

At first, these flags can look exactly the same to a great number of you, so the only way to differentiate them is by the type and number of stars they have. Otherwise, you can make a huge mistake of choosing an Australian flag for some important event and you risk embarrassing yourself in front of your guests.  So make sure to pay more attention when buying one.

Ways to Use the Flag

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If you're a sports enthusiast who wants to colour everything blue on a big sports game, then you can easily do that. You can add a touch of sports spirit to your home décor by hanging a larger flag above the sofa and one outside your home on the balcony. You can also buy a national string flag banner and hang it on the walls in your home while also investing in handwaving flags that you can use with your friends/family once the game starts. To spice things up and make them even better, you can use toothpick blag banners on finger food and even decorate one in the form and shape of New Zealand's flag.