Why is there blood on the Louisiana flag?

The three drops show the mother pelican wounding her breast to feed her young, based on an old legend. The image stands for self-sacrifice and devotion.

When did Louisiana change its flag?

Louisiana adopted its current flag in 1912. A 2006 law clarified the design of the pelican and brought the flag in line with the state seal.

What does the Louisiana state flag say?

The ribbon under the pelican reads "Union, Justice & Confidence," which is the state motto.

Do Cajuns have a flag?

Yes. The Acadiana flag is used by Cajun communities and Acadian heritage groups, but it is not an official state flag.

What is the Louisiana state bird?

The brown pelican is the state bird. It gave Louisiana its nickname, the Pelican State, and it is the symbol on the state flag.

Louisiana Flag: Meaning, Pelican & History

The Louisiana flag shows a pelican tearing at her breast to feed three chicks, on a field of blue, above a white ribbon reading UNION, JUSTICE & CONFIDENCE. The image has long been a symbol of the Pelican State.

What the Louisiana state flag looks like

The Louisiana state flag has a solid blue field. In the center is a pelican perched on a nest, bending down to three young birds. The mother pelican is shown pecking at her own breast, with three drops of blood falling toward her chicks. Beneath the nest, a white ribbon carries the state motto in blue capitals: UNION, JUSTICE & CONFIDENCE.

The design has no stars, stripes or border. Its simple layout of a bird, a ribbon and a blue background makes it distinct from most other state flags, which tend to use a seal.

Louisiana flag meaning and symbolism

The image is known in heraldry as the pelican in her piety. It comes from an old legend that a mother pelican would wound her own breast and feed her young with her blood if there was no other food. For centuries the legend made the pelican a symbol of self-sacrifice and devotion, and it was often used in Christian art. On the flag it stands for the state's care for its people, and the motto beneath it, Union, Justice & Confidence, sums up the values the state claims for itself. The three chicks and three drops of blood are sometimes tied to the three words of the motto, though this is a popular reading rather than an official one.

The pelican was also chosen because the brown pelican is Louisiana's state bird, which gave the state its nickname, the Pelican State. The blue field is simply the background color of the flag and has no stated meaning.

History of the Louisiana flag

The pelican has been associated with Louisiana since the early 1800s and appears on the state seal. The current flag was adopted on July 1, 1912, replacing earlier banners used by the state. The 1912 flag set the pelican with her chicks on a blue field with the motto ribbon.

In 2006 the legislature revised the law to clarify the flag's design. The update specified the traditional pose of the pelican in her piety and aligned the flag with the state seal. The flag has remained in this form since then.

Louisiana's rich cultural mix has produced several unofficial flags, such as the Acadiana flag used by Cajun communities and flags associated with Louisiana Creole heritage. These are cultural symbols, not state flags. To compare Louisiana with other states, visit our U.S. state flags page or the flag of the United States.