ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Flag of Canada

The flag of Canada is a really special thing that represents the country. You know how you have a favorite color or a favorite toy? Well, Canada has a favorite way to show all the people who live there and who come to visit what it stands for and what it loves. And that's by using its flag!

A flag is basically a colorful piece of cloth with a special design that helps show what a country represents. The Canadian flag has a very special design. It has a bright red background with a white square in the middle. Inside the white square, there's a red maple leaf, which is the national symbol of Canada.

The maple leaf is really important to Canadians because there are a lot of maple trees in Canada. It's also a symbol of how people from all across the country come together. You know how we all have different likes and preferences, but we can all come together and be friends? That's just like how the maple leaf symbolizes everyone coming together.

Canada's flag wasn't always the one we see today. Before 1965, they used a different flag that had a British emblem on it because Canada used to be a colony of Great Britain. But then, they came up with this new flag design that they thought truly represented the country, without any ties to any other country.

So, whenever you see the Canadian flag, you can remember that it's like a special puzzle piece that represents all the people who call Canada home and reminds everyone of the special things that make Canada so great and unique!