New Mexico Flag History

Adopted: 1925

New Mexico Flag Design: The red and yellow of old Spain. The ancient Zia Sun symbol in red, in the center of a field of yellow.

Designed by Harry P. Mera

New Mexico historian Ralph Emerson Twitchell designed the first flag of New Mexico statehood, as authorized in 1915.  It consisted of a blue field with a miniature United States flag in the upper left corner, the state’s great seal in the lower right corner, and "New Mexico" embroidered diagonally across the field from the lower left to the upper right corner.

In 1920, the New Mexico Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) advocated the adoption of a flag representative of New Mexico’s unique character.  Three years later, the D.A.R. conducted a design competition, which was won by the distinguished Santa Fe physician and archeologist, Dr. Harry Mera.  The doctor’s wife, Reba, made the winning New Mexico flag design with a symbolic red Zia on a field of yellow.  In March 1925, Governor Arthur T. Hannett signed the legislation, which proclaimed the Mera design as the official New Mexico state flag.

The State Flag of New Mexico has a modern interpretation of an ancient symbol of a sun design as seen on a late 19th-century water jar from Zia Pueblo. This pueblo is thought to have been one of the Seven Golden Cities of Cíbola, which explorer Vásquez de Coronado sought.  The red sun symbol was called a "Zia" and is shown on a field of yellow. This distinctive design reflects the pueblo's tribal philosophy, with its wealth of pantheistic spiritualism teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe. Four is the sacred number of Zia, and the figure is composed of a circle from which four points radiate. To the Zia Indian, the sacred number is embodied in the earth with its four main directions; in the year with its four seasons; in the day, with sunrise, noon, evening, and night; in life, with its four divisions - childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life, without beginning, without end. The States of America have all flown over the "Land of Enchantment" during the long history of the state.

The Zia believe, too, that in this great brotherhood of all things, man has four sacred obligations:  he must develop a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of his people.

The red and yellow are the colors of Isabel of Castilla that the Spanish Conquistadors brought to the New World. The symbol's proportions are fixed by legislative act, with the four groups of rays set at right angles, the two inner rays one-fifth longer than the outer rays. The diameter of the circle in the center is one-third the width of the symbol

Pledge to the New Mexico State Flag

The pledge to the state flag is available in English and Spanish:

I salute the flag of the state of New Mexico, the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.
    — New Mexico Statutes and Court Rules, Section 12-3-3

Saludo la bandera del estado de Nuevo México, el símbolo zia de amistad perfecta, entre culturas unidas.
    — New Mexico Statutes and Court Rules, Section 12-3-7

NOT ALL NEW MEXICO STATE FLAGS ARE THE SAME!
HERE'S WHY...

Extra care is taken in making these flags. Flag designs are researched to ensure that they are authentic and current. We use sturdy fabrics, allowing the flags to be flown outdoors, indoors, or carried in parades.

Constructed with 100% Heavy Duty Nylon (digital dyed) ★ Beautiful, brilliant colors ★ Resistant to wear and tear of sun & rain ★ Complete with heavy canvas heading & brass grommets to meet the most demanding commercial and residential uses.

• All outdoor flags are finished with heavy-duty thread, polyester heading, brass grommets, and four needle fly hem
• State flags constructed to precise specifications
• Flies in the slightest breeze
• Proudly Made in the USA
• Beautiful Presentation - This New Mexico Flag makes an excellent gift for friends, parents, or to PROUDLY display on your HOME or OFFICE.

 
HEAVY-DUTY NYLON OUTDOOR STATE FLAGS WITH SOLAR SHIELD

Our most popular and versatile outdoor New Mexico flag, USA Flag Co. flags offer the optimum combination of elegance and durability for every purpose. The 100% nylon material provides a rich, lustrous appearance. Our flags have superb wearing strength due to the material’s superior strength-to-weight ratio and will fly in the slightest breeze. State flags are finished with strong, polyester canvas headings and spurred brass grommets, and four needle fly hem. The result is a flag that will be flown with pride year after year.

SOLAR SHIELD

• Rich, Vivid Colors
• Durable
• Fire-Resistant
• Mothproof
• Mildew Resistant
• Sheds Water
• Lightweight for Flyability

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