ST PAUL, Minn — It’s hard to make a 166-year-old event feel fresh, but this Minnesota Statehood Day was full of firsts.
The new state flag design was hoisted over the state capitol Saturday morning and the new state seal design was officially adopted Saturday afternoon.
Both were chosen after a lengthy redesign process, spurred by controversy over what some viewed as offensive imagery on the old state seal.
“We can't possibly know what Minnesota will be like in, say, 100 years,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said. “But we can hope that whatever it is like, its people will find strength and inspiration and connections in the emblems that we have adopted today.”
The designers of both the new seal and flag were honored at an event at the Capitol, as well as the chairs of the State Emblems Redesign Commission.
“It is such an honor and a privilege to be a part of such an important process to Minnesota,” flag designer Andrew Prekker said.
The new design hasn’t been popular with everyone. However those who have embraced it, display it proudly.
“I've had it on for about a month and a half,” Tim Yearneau said. The Bloomington man had the new flag fluttering from the back of his truck as he drove laps around the capitol building Saturday afternoon.
“The whole goal of the flag is that when you see it real quick, you know it's Minnesota,” Yearneau said. “I have debates with my friends. When is the last time you ever cared about the state flag? Only when they change it!”
Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul started selling the new design once it was finalized months ago. On the afternoon of Statehood Day, the store had two left on the shelves.
“We were always waiting for them to have more in stock,” store co-owner Dan Marshall said. “It's a way of expressing who you are and it kind of says something different about who we are as a state now that we've embraced a new design.”
While other flag stores in Minnesota continue to stock the old design, Marshall said Mischief has never sold the now-retired banner.
And he doesn’t plan to start.
“It's a really good day for Minnesota, I think.”
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