Reasons to Leave Your Canadian Flag At Home

When I was nine, my parents insisted that I wear a Canadian flag pin when we went to Mexico. They explained to me that if we wore this we were less likely to be robbed, since Canadian dollars were worth less than American.

I hated that pin. It irritated my skin, and I kept having to worry about loosing it. What really bothered me though was my father’s question when I handed it back to him:

“Don’t you want people to know you’re Canadian?”

Ouch, Dad! I’m already on vacation no need to send me on a guilt trip!

I’ve heard a lot of reasons as to why people wear their Canadian flags when traveling abroad, and it’s occurred to me that unless they were backed up with personal experiences, the answers were often unvaried, simplistic, and left me with a lot more questions than answers.

#1: It will deter thieves.

Which ones? The ones from second and third world countries who now know that you have way more currency on you than an average person, the value of which is higher than their own money? Or is it the thieves from the first world countries who are targeting your phone?

They’re stealing for a reason. Greed and hunger are both ample motivations to ignore nationality when choosing a target.

#2: I am a proud Canadian!

That’s great, me too! It’s just a little strange that we feel the need to announce it so that people will treat us nicely. Seriously, only one other country does this. It’s just us, and the United States. Two peas in a weirdly nationalistic pod.

#3: I can meet fellow Canadians when I’m abroad.

So … you left Canada … in order to find more Canadians … ?

This reason comes from a former teacher of mine who said that it was a great way to find help. You could ask if they had any water, or just have a chat with them in your own language.

Over a decade after receiving this advice I found myself caught in Gatwick because of a situation involving drones. It was nightmarish for some people, thankfully I wasn’t one of them. West Jet had made plans to bus the passengers from my flight to Birmingham for an alternative flight, and so while we waited for everything to get sorted, a group of us began chatting with each other. We played games to pass the time, had some laughs, shared food and phone chargers, and in the end even trusted each other with our luggage. This group of Canadians, Brits, and Aussies stuck more or less together for the entire trip to Toronto.

Not one of us wore our national flags.

#4: My parents did it, so I do it now too.

I understand that this is a good way of passing down cultural practices, but it really shouldn’t be in this case. What kept your parents safe won’t necessarily work for you. The geopolitical landscape could have changed vastly between their trips and yours. If you’re able, ask them why they wore it, and leave a comment below if they have different reasons from the ones listed above!

The best way to experience a culture is to immerse yourself in it. Try to go where the locals go and do as the locals do. Keep an open mind, learn their language and etiquette. You’d be surprised what a simple thank you in their language will do! Overall, just try your best. Those things will let the world know who you are; something no flag will ever be able to.