Since 1912, when New Mexico entered the union, two official state flags have flown over this southwestern state. The first flag of the state was designed by New Mexico historian Ralph Emerson Twitchell and featured a design quite different from the current flag. Mr. Twitchell's flag was blue with a small representation of the flag of the United States in the upper left-hand corner and the New Mexico State Seal in the lower right-hand corner. Placed in the upper right-hand corner of the field is the number forty-seven, representative of New Mexico's admission to the Union as the 47th state. "NEW MEXICO" was embroidered diagonally across the field from the lower left-hand corner to the upper right-hand corner.
Dr. Mera was an archaeologist and was familiar with the ancient symbols of Native peoples. He got his inspiration from a Zia symbol on an old clay pot that was created by a woman from Zia Pueblo, New Mexico. Dr. Mera modified the design and used royal colors, yellow and red, from Spain.
The colors come from old Spain; yellow and red are found in the Spanish Cross of Burgundy flag, used during the reign Phillip the II (1556-1598). The Spanish viceroys used this flag during their time in the New World. The red and yellow in the New Mexico flag honor Isabella I of Castile and stem from this part of our history.
The size of the Zia Sun is about one-third of the entire flag. It has a group of four rays wherein one group has four rays each, all at right angles. The two innermost rays have sizes of about one fifth longer than that of the outermost rays. The center has a circle with a diameter of one-third.
The Zia considers four to be a sacred number and thus there are 4 bunches of rays radiating from the sun. In fact, there are exactly four rays in each group. The number four is not only expressed in the New Mexico Flag but is inherent in every aspect of life itself. Thus there are four cycles in one life, four seasons in all and four divisions of a day. The round sun in the New Mexico Flag also implies that life is circular. The New Mexico Flag has a red symbolic emblem in the center of a yellow background.
There is a barrage of cheap and inferior New Mexico flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of New Mexico flag for the future.
Dr. Mera was an archaeologist and was familiar with the ancient symbols of Native peoples. He got his inspiration from a Zia symbol on an old clay pot that was created by a woman from Zia Pueblo, New Mexico. Dr. Mera modified the design and used royal colors, yellow and red, from Spain.
The colors come from old Spain; yellow and red are found in the Spanish Cross of Burgundy flag, used during the reign Phillip the II (1556-1598). The Spanish viceroys used this flag during their time in the New World. The red and yellow in the New Mexico flag honor Isabella I of Castile and stem from this part of our history.
The size of the Zia Sun is about one-third of the entire flag. It has a group of four rays wherein one group has four rays each, all at right angles. The two innermost rays have sizes of about one fifth longer than that of the outermost rays. The center has a circle with a diameter of one-third.
The Zia considers four to be a sacred number and thus there are 4 bunches of rays radiating from the sun. In fact, there are exactly four rays in each group. The number four is not only expressed in the New Mexico Flag but is inherent in every aspect of life itself. Thus there are four cycles in one life, four seasons in all and four divisions of a day. The round sun in the New Mexico Flag also implies that life is circular. The New Mexico Flag has a red symbolic emblem in the center of a yellow background.
There is a barrage of cheap and inferior New Mexico flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of New Mexico flag for the future.