Flag of Hawaii facts for kids
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| Name | Ka Hae Hawaiʻi |
|---|---|
| Use | Civil and state flag  |
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | December 29, 1845 (last modified in 1898) |
| Design | Eight alternating horizontal stripes of white, red, and blue, with the United Kingdom's Union Flag in the canton |
The flag of Hawaii (in Hawaiian: Ka Hae Hawaiʻi) has been used by many Hawaiian governments. These include the kingdom, a temporary government, the republic, and the territory of Hawaii.
It is the only U.S. state flag that includes another country's national flag. This is the Union Jack of the United Kingdom. Its presence shows the historical friendship between the British Royal Navy and the Hawaiian Kingdom. This friendship was especially strong with King Kamehameha I. The flag continued to be used even after the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown in 1893.
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What Does the Flag Look Like?
The top left corner of the Hawaiian flag has the Union Flag of the United Kingdom. This part is called the canton.
The rest of the flag has eight horizontal stripes. These stripes stand for the eight main islands of Hawaii. These islands are Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Niʻihau.
The colors of the stripes, from top to bottom, are: white, red, blue, white, red, blue, white, red. These colors were officially set in 1843.
How the Flag Began
There are different stories about how the Hawaiian flag first started. One story says that King Kamehameha I flew a British flag. This flag was given to him by Captain George Vancouver. It was a sign of friendship with King George III of Britain.
Later, an adviser told King Kamehameha that flying the British flag could cause problems. Hawaii might be seen as an ally of the United Kingdom. So, the king lowered the British flag from his home.
Another story says that during the War of 1812, an American flag was raised. This was done to please American visitors. But British officers in the king's court strongly disagreed. So, the American flag was removed. This might explain why the Hawaiian flag combines parts of both nations' flags.
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In 1816, King Kamehameha asked for his own flag to be made. This was to avoid conflicts between the British and Americans. This new flag eventually became the flag we see today. It was likely designed by former officers of the British Royal Navy. They were advising King Kamehameha at the time. Some people think Alexander Adams designed it, while others credit George Charles Beckley.
The first version of this flag was very similar to the flag of the British East India Company. That flag only had red and white stripes. Captain Adams first used the Hawaiian flag on a trade trip to China in 1817.
The original design of the flag had stripes in the order of red-white-blue. However, when the flag was first officially flown, the stripes were mistakenly placed as white-red-blue. Explorers visiting the islands had different ideas about the exact order of colors and the number of stripes until the late 1840s.
The number of stripes also changed over time. The flag was first designed with either seven or nine stripes. In 1845, it was officially changed to eight stripes. This is the design that is still used today.
Ka Hae Hawaii Day
In 1990, Hawaii's Governor John Waihee announced that July 31 would be Ka Hae Hawaii Day. This is Hawaii's Flag Day. People in Hawaii have celebrated it every year since then.
Flag of the Governor
The flag used by the governor of Hawaii is red and blue. In the middle, it has eight white stars. The name of the state, "HAWAII," appears in capital letters. Before Hawaii became a U.S. state, when it was a territory, the letters in the middle of the flag were "TH." This stood for "Territory of Hawaii."
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Flag Timeline
| Date | Flag | Image |
|---|---|---|
| 1793–1794 | British Red Ensign |  |
| 1794–1816 | Flag of Great Britain | .svg){kind=small} |
| 1816–1843 | Early version of the present flag | .svg){kind=small} |
| Feb 1843 – July 1843 | Union Flag (during the Paulet Affair) |  |
| July 1843 – May 1845 | Early version of the present flag | |
| May 1845 – Feb 1893 | The current Hawaiian flag introduced in 1845 | .svg){kind=small} |
| Feb 1893 – Apr 1893 | U.S. Flag (after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii) |  |
| 1894–1898 | Hawaiian flag re-adopted by the Republic of Hawaii | |
| 1898–1960 | Hawaiian flag used by the U.S. territory of Hawaii | |
| 1960–present | Hawaiian flag used by the State of Hawaii | |
Images for kids
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Personal Standard of King Kalakaua
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Personal Standard of Princess Kaiulani
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1868 flag chart
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Hawaiian quilt from Waimea, before 1918
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