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The flag features seven interlocking circles arranged in a flower-like pattern. The circles symbolise our interconnectedness—how all life on Earth is linked. The blue background represents water, which is essential for life and covers most of our planet. The outer rings form a circle; a representation of Earth itself.
I discovered this two weeks ago when preparing to reinstate my once regular ‘garden festival’.
Coincidentally, this was the weekend of the VE Day celebrations - which presented a conundrum.
When invited to the VE Day service at church, my Ukrainian friend had welled up with the reminder of the war still raging within Europe (the ‘celebration’ was hastily re-named a ‘commemoration’).
During the summer of Brexit, instead of using my union jacks, I sourced bunting with flags from round the world. (Actually, they turned out to be flags of rugby playing nations, but I wanted a nod to what unites, not divides us).
I considered getting a wider selection of world flags, but would that require removing the Russian flag?
And any others?
Hence the search that turned up the flag of the planet earth.
So, as well as the flags of the rugby playing nations of the world, we had the flag of planet earth and the blue planet.
The day was a mash of offerings from the guests and many of the 13 nationalities and cultures represented. We started with a teddy bears’ picnic accompanied by live folk, jazz & piano classics from party guests.
My lodger performed a set of traditional Chinese songs then hosted a Chinese tea ceremony. This was followed by an English ‘afternoon tea’.
Various people contributed their poetry, leading to one young man giving a neighbour’s daughter an impromptu revision session for her RE GCSE the following week. She then did balloon bending with the children. One of the Ukrainian children told his one English joke (a number of times).
At the end of the day, a Ukrainian friend again welled up, describing her gratitude; particularly at the Chinese cultural offering.
“We can’t celebrate our culture and it is too hard to meet just ourselves as it is a reminder of what is happening, so it’s lovely to meet with others and to enjoy other people’s culture."
We concluded the day with a barbecue.
A united team of Polish, Hungarian, Romanian and Greek fathers of my daughter’s (Catholic school) classmates made a boisterous attempt to build a fire, but, in the end, failed to get it going.
The Ukrainian guests took up the baton and soon saved the day; rifling through the bushes to retrieve a stock of kindling, plus logs, resourcefully diverting an extension cable and persuading my daughter to lend them my hairdryer.
A small example of a world united.
Traditional Chinese tea ceremoney served with traditional English afternoon tea.
The flags still remain in my garden. I can’t bring myself to remove them.
written by Esther Ridsdale
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