Massachusetts State Flag (we need a better state flag)

It's just so badass. One of the best examples of writing on a flag. Washington used it for his ships. I know it looks similar to the new Maine flag, but I honestly don't care.
 
Bunker Hill Flag, end of story. Related to the New England 'Pine Tree Flag' but also clearly distinct.
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An Appeal to Heaven is super badass though.
 
TheRatmeister said:
Bunker Hill Flag, end of story. Related to the New England 'Pine Tree Flag' but also clearly distinct.
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An Appeal to Heaven is super badass though.
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I know it might not be the intent of the flag, but I'm never comfortable seeing a cross (or any other religious symbol) on a flag. We are a secular state in a (supposedly) secular nation and there shouldn't be any symbolism that could be misunderstood to mean the contrary.
 
I like the cod one. I feel like a bunch of the others are trying too hard. Sad that the Pac Man looking one from the initial submissions (slide 25) didn't make it, I thought it was symbolic in a neat way that wasn't beating you over the head with it.
 
Some best ofs imo:

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I don't know if the fish's mouth is helping? Looks cartoon-ish.

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Wish the pine tree was green.

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Seal on bed sheet problem, but clean.

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Star inside the flower is nice. A little boring.

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Best of the whale tails. Still sort of awkward - tail profile is slightly asymmetrical.

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Hate the purple. Wish it were red.

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Not sure what pine cones really have to do with Mass but this is very "stately"
 
The flowers make me think Mississippi. The whale tales are a fountain of dumb jokes waiting to happen.
 
Bananarama said:
Best of the whale tails. Still sort of awkward - tail profile is slightly asymmetrical.
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I'm a fan of some reworking of this one:
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I enjoy the wave lines, and the yellow could be the expanded to the edges. Brings to mind a boat, book, and fields all at once. I think the whale is a nice element that would be Unique to a Mass flag. Maybe tweak the whale to a deeper cranberry?

I assume even when they narrow it down, they'll provide variations, right?
 
Some other thoughts.

I think Slide 816:
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could work with some color tweaking, and aligning the shield in the center. Maybe make the blue a little lighter?

I also really appreciate this one:
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But it does seem a bit busy. I love the red (perhaps cranberry) against the blue of the whale. Maybe change the colors of one set of stripes to white?

If you can't tell I really like having cranberry represented in the colors of the flag.
 
Until now, I've been a pretty staunch traditionalist when it comes to MA flag redesigns (i.e. firmly in the "pine tree + blue shield" or "Flag of New England derivative" camp). But after scrolling through the submissions, I have to say: the red feather circle flag and seal (#171, 777) has really stuck with me. It's just beautiful.

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That said, if a date is going to appear on the State Seal, I’d rather it be 1780 (the ratification of the Massachusetts Constitution) over 1788 (when Massachusetts joined the Union). The fact that Massachusetts has what is arguably the oldest extant constitution in the world seems more worth celebrating that that fact that it was the 6th state to ratify the US Constitution (a document MA's Constitution served as a partial blueprint for).

As an aside, I’m glad this is the moment in history when Massachusetts is finally redesigning its flag. We're seeing far more submissions (and mottoes) tap into a "revolutionary fighting spirit" than I think we would’ve seen even a few years ago. As much as I value community, diversity, and natural beauty as civic ideals, I also want a flag that looks like it could lead men into battle.
 
I guess these would be my choices.
 

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And then there were three... https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/28/metro/massachusetts-state-flag-redesign-recommendations/

I've been kind of partial to the red ones all week, but I didn't want to admit it because the pine tree is an important regional symbol as we move into an era of "soft secession". Now that the tree's gone, I'm all in on the red.

Btw - if you read the article to the end the first flag ain't winning, since the indigenous folks on the panel don't want a mayflower, for kind of obvious reasons. The "shining city on a hill" is less on the nose, but it's still a colonial reference. The turkey feathers, on the other hand, are a nice nod to Ben Franklin while not being overtly colonialist. A Google search indicates that they have indigenous meaning as well, though I'm unqualified and uninformed on the meaning they may have to tribes in Massachusetts.

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I am not a big fan of these choices. I was hoping that a pine flag would have made the final cut. One of the seals has "State of Massachusetts" on it.......
 
One of my issues with the original flag was that there was so much empty space. The flag felt like it could be busier. The first two seem to have the same problem. The third one is okay, but I do wish we could have had one with a pine tree on it.
 
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