Flags on a Rope.
Pennants.
Party Decorations strung up and the around the place.
Is there a way to celebrate without a few flags or words hung on a string?
Well, I don’t think so.
This week of May is typically known as ‘Birthday Season’ in my house since my daughters and I share birthdays in a row. It was terribly stressful when they were children since clearly the kitchen decorations needed to change daily to express the fresh birthday enthusiasm. Nobody wants leftover birthday excitement, do they?
Just ask the child born on Boxing Day how they feel about Christmas wrapping paper…
Anyway, as the girls have gotten older, our bunting collection has grown and grown and far from leftover hash, the bunting display sort of builds-up over the week. As do the emotions.
Since my time in the UK, starting in the mid-90’s, I’ve always called it all ‘bunting’ and only upon my return to the US recently did I wonder why it wasn’t rolling off the other tongues. Turns out, bunting - those long lines of flags hung up to celebrate - goes way back to the early 17th century.
Too early in the meal for wartime history?
Grab your sailors’ hat and a sausage roll, it’s fun.
The term ‘bunting’ originally described the durable wool used to make signal flags and ribbons for the Royal Navy in the 1600’s.1
There also seems to be some German influence, since ‘bunt’ means colorful while ‘bund’ means alliance which could loosely also mean tied together? Could it not?
Over time ‘Butline’ or ‘Buntine’ (unclear which) just came to be called Bunting. It was/is a high-glaze worsted wool and apparently, an individual triangular flag was called a ‘tammy’, from estamet, a French word for the lightweight fabric. In any case, the bunting was used by British and European Navies as a means of sending signals to one another. Presumably, still is. In fact, the sailor who hoists up the flags is known as the ‘bunting tosser’, or ‘bunt’ for short.
Draping the flags would signal to passing ships the allegiance of the vessel as well as other messages that avoided the need for trackable communications.
The most famous message using these flag comms, was by Lord Nelson on the HMS Victory at the start of the Battle of Trafalgar.
The bunting flags told his fleet,
"England expects that every man will do his duty"
Back to the party, somehow the term morphed over time to describe the rows of flags rather than the fabric… By the 18th century the strings of flags were used as celebratory decorations for parties and patriotic processions.2
Street Parties
Where bunting really comes to life is the great British Street Party, which seems to have started at ‘Peace Teas’ in 1919 after World War I. These teas were a treat for children after many years of hardship and thus began the stringing of flags across streets of terraced (town) houses. Often seen in photos of D-Day street parties, endless lines of flags seemed to consume London’s streets and Britain’s neighborhoods.
Imagine cutting, sewing and organizing such a feat together?!
Did you know a single bed sheet will make around 60 double-sided bunting flags? You do now, so no more excuses, get making!3
Such a lovely tradition, and I’m proud to say it continues to this day. I cut, stitched (and ordered and bought) many a bunting for a few of the Queen’s Jubilees4 in my time. Just like the making of a cup of tea, my British friends know exactly what’s expected of them when you say ‘street party’ or indeed ‘garden party’. Most keep a box or boxes of bunting (and finger sandwiches) at the ready for such a time.
Yankee Bunting
The American Take on bunting seems to skew patriot and less triangle-y. Swathes and swoops of star-spangled fabrics drape over front porches, along balconies, up stairways and around parade floats. Yes, indeedy. The word bunting seems to send American heads to these swoops more than the flags or pennant-formats.
Not to worry, Americans love festive decorating as much (if not more) that their special friends across the pond. Like everything else, Americans go large when it comes to decking the halls. They-We just have different words. And, tend to prefer balloons and banners (and all manner of yard cards) to express their love for the celebration. Sometimes that love extends down the hall and into…
I’m now feeling thankful I didn’t start the balloon tradition in my family. These lungs would stay in bed for sure. But I do love a Deck-ed Out Loo.
I love when the great intentions flow throughout the house, whatever the medium.
Be the Bunt.
In my house, I guess I’m the Bunt. I can attest that triangles and flags and words and flowers on strings speak volumes. The American in me goes for volume. Of bunting. All shapes, sizes and colors.
Heck, Chez Nous, we even hang bunting for a Pity Party. Because sometimes words escape in a way that little triangles do not. Of course, I have a Pinterest Page (and boxes and boxes) of bunting ideas to keep the inspiration alive.
Having woken up the other day to the most beautiful display of Mexican paper flowers for my own birthday, I can also confidently say that my children have grown up to become very talented Bunts too and every (wo)man does their duty in Birthday Season.
Life is a Party;
…but you have to hang your own bunting!
ABBY.
https://flagpoles.co.uk/the-timeless-charm-of-bunting
https://patchwork-quilting.co.uk/2015/09/14/bunting-part-1-historical-and-personal-perspectives/
https://judeknightauthor.com/2019/07/26/the-history-of-bunting-and-how-to-make-it/
https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221101104151/https://platinumjubilee.gov.uk/toolkit/
A love for buntings is a love for life!
I remember hearing the word many times via your mother's creative efforts over time. Nicely done.