The world renowned Kandy Esala Perahera where a variety of flags are carried, dates back to several centuries. A colourful set of stamps released in December 1980 depict four flags of the early times.

Of the 195 countries in the world, only three have a tiny amount of purple on their flags. And the bizarre explanation stretches back to the ancient world and the exorbitant price of a rare sea snail.

55 years ago today, Apollo 11's flag raising on the ancient lunar surface took all ... symbolism and usage of flags.) Matthew ...