What does the symbol on the New Mexico flag mean?

It is the Zia sun symbol, a sacred emblem of the Zia Pueblo. The four groups of rays stand for the four directions, seasons, times of day and stages of life, joined by a circle.

Why is the New Mexico flag red and yellow?

Red and yellow are the colors of old Spain, which ruled New Mexico for over two and a half centuries. The red Zia sun is placed on a yellow field.

When did New Mexico adopt its flag?

The legislature adopted the current flag in 1925, on March 19, 1925, 13 years after statehood in 1912. It was designed by Harry Mera and sewn by his wife Reba.

Is it okay to use the Zia symbol?

The symbol is sacred to the Zia Pueblo, so commercial use is sensitive. The Zia have fought unauthorized use over the years, and anyone planning to use it on products or branding should consider its origins and contact Zia Pueblo.

What is the New Mexico flag pledge?

The state pledge reads: "I salute the flag of the state of New Mexico, the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures." It is commonly recited in public schools after the U.S. pledge.

Has the NM state flag ever been redesigned?

No. The Zia sun flag designed by Harry Mera was signed into law on March 19, 1925, and it remains in use unchanged today.

What was the original New Mexico flag?

Because New Mexico had no official flag until 1925, the first one was the "Twitchell flag" of 1915, made by Santa Fe mayor Ralph Emerson Twitchell for a San Diego fair. It was turquoise, with a U.S. flag in the upper corner, the words "New Mexico" across it, the number 47 and the state seal.

New Mexico State Flag: Zia Symbol, Meaning & History

The New Mexico flag shows a red Zia sun symbol in the center of a yellow field. Adopted in 1925, it takes its colors from Spain and its emblem from the Zia Pueblo, and it was rated first in a 2001 North American Vexillological Association survey of 72 U.S. and Canadian flags.

What the New Mexico state flag looks like

The state flag of New Mexico is as simple as a flag can be. It has a plain yellow field with a single red emblem in the middle: a circle with four groups of straight rays pointing outward. There is no text, no seal and no border. The flag has a ratio of 2:3, and by law the emblem is centered on the field.

Each of the four groups holds four rays. The rays within each group differ slightly in length, which gives the symbol its balanced, radiating look. The rays point in the four cardinal directions, so the symbol reads the same however the flag is turned. This is the Zia symbol, a stylized sun taken from the Zia Pueblo.

The law calls the colors the red and yellow of old Spain. They are the only two colors on the flag, which makes it easy to recognize from a distance and easy to reproduce.

New Mexico flag meaning and symbolism

The colors and the symbol have separate stories. The red and yellow are the colors of Spain, recalling the Spanish empire, which ruled "Nuevo México" for over two and a half centuries. The flag was meant to show the state's Indigenous and Hispanic heritage.

The Zia sun is a sacred symbol of the Zia people, one of New Mexico's Pueblo communities. In Zia belief the number four is sacred, and it appears throughout the symbol. It is commonly said to stand for:

the four directions: north, south, east and west;
the four seasons of the year;
the four parts of the day: morning, noon, evening and night;
the four stages of life: childhood, youth, adulthood and old age.

The circle binds the four groups of four together. The Zia symbol has since come to stand for the wider Pueblo, Hispano and Native-led culture of New Mexico. The state's official salute to the flag calls the Zia a symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.

History of the New Mexico flag

New Mexico became the 47th state in 1912, but for its first thirteen years it had no official flag. For the 1915 San Diego fair, Santa Fe mayor Ralph Emerson Twitchell designed a turquoise flag with the U.S. flag in one corner and the words "New Mexico" across it.

The Daughters of the American Revolution called for an official flag in 1920, and a statewide contest was held in 1923. The winning design was by Harry Mera, a physician and archaeologist in Santa Fe, and it was sewn by his wife Reba. Governor Arthur T. Hannett signed the law making it the state flag on March 19, 1925. The same flag has flown over the state ever since.

Since then, the main developments have concerned the use of the symbol rather than the design. The symbol was used without consulting the Zia people, who have worked to stop it being used without their permission. A 2012 joint memorial by the state and the Zia people acknowledged that the state had appropriated the image without permission. The state flag itself has not been redesigned.

Using the Zia symbol respectfully

Because the Zia sun is sacred, using it casually can cause offense. Flying the state flag is no problem, but putting the symbol on products, logos or advertising is a more sensitive matter, and the state supports respectful use by pointing people to Zia Pueblo and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. It is worth considering the symbol's origins and meaning before using it commercially.

You can compare the flag with others in the Southwest on the U.S. state flags page, such as Arizona, or see the national flag on the flag of the United States page.