Wow Liam that seems like an awful lot of thought to go through before you pin on a patch.
A lot of us wear the pins with the crossed American/Canadian flags. What does that mean?
(Sounds as complicated as those circle pins that we swore meant whether the girl was a virgin or not depending on which side it was worn. Remember?)

hdm,

I think there's differences in conversational nuances in the same way we would wear our badges.

We can correct such question in a way that is a matter or fact or even proudly as a native of that country.

Or we can respond to the question in a huffy manner as in, how dare you think I'm American?! - it's the same way that the badge or pin is reflected by the individual owner - some may use it to be proud of their country; and some may use it to differentiate themselves from the Americans.

I don't wear emblems of any kind, traveling or otherwise. I even hate it when they put brand names on clothes or shoes.

nbujic -
The only "relation" of the Union Jack to the Canadian flag pertained to my understanding that the French supposedly are not great fans of the English so if someone from the United States was planning on pretending to be from another country by the use of a flag, they might not want to wear the union jack either.

I love to buy flag badges from everywhere I go, and I sew (or glue) them on my backpack. If the intent to put a flag, any flag, on a backpack is to confuse, I'm sure I'm doing a great job!

o,k,
thanks.
I have never carried a backpack, so no place to stick a flag of any country!

<<Wow Liam that seems like an awful lot of thought to go through before you pin on a patch.
A lot of us wear the pins with the crossed American/Canadian flags. What does that mean?
(Sounds as complicated as those circle pins that we swore meant whether the girl was a virgin or not depending on which side it was worn. Remember?)>>

*LOL... yes, it is a bit to think of before donning a patch, I'll admit. For me what it comes down to is the motivation for wearing the patch. Pride, affinity = OK. Distancing, "don't blame me, I'm Canadian" = I can do without. The truth is, I'm too busy during my travels to really engage anyone on the issue, so chances are pretty good that you'll escape unscathed should you cross my path. *LOL

Circle pins? I don't think I know what that's all about. Based on my orientation, I'd be checking out the brooch and not trying to figure out if a woman is a virgin. ;^)

girls wear pins to show WHAT???

wow you learn something new every day here on Fodor's!

"I have never carried a backpack, so no place to stick a flag of any country!"

Total lack of imagination.

This whole thing is a bit of a joke. To an outsider there's very little difference between the US and Canada, or between Americans and Canadians, so who cares? After a few days in Canada (after crossing from the USA) I remember saying to my wife "I have very little sense that we're in a different country." Her response was "I have NO sense that I'm in a different country, apart from the metric measurements." I did however notice that there were more American cars on the roads in Canada than on the Left Coast of the USA. In general there seems much less cultural difference between California and BC, for example, than between California and Louisiana.

Stylistically, wearing national symbols is about on par with wearing socks with sandals.

Bush is no more popular in Australia than in Europe, but I've never heard an American complain that they weren't well treated here.

What a load of codswallop.

I am Canadian and whenever I see the little flag on a backpack or bag while travelling in Europe I always feel contempt. I mean really...is it a security blanket? Are they just "skimming the surface" kind of travelers thinking that by identifying themselves to the outside world, they will be treated better? With more "respect" by virtue of being "Canadian"? How naive. I can't help but think they are novice travellers with little interest in having genuine communication with the natives of the country they are visiting. It's SO self centred and un-worldly.

Neil_Oz - I am Canadian and my husband is Australian. The first time I went to Oz, I said the same thing to him after a few hours on the road: I have very little sense that I'm in a different country to Canada. Sure, the landscape is a little different, different trees, different earth but the cities felt the same and so did the people. I wondered if the colonies have a flat-pack factory somewhere? My husband laughs at me because I have this National Geographic view of Australia and I want every Australian bloke to be the Man from Snowy River. The reality was far different and I couldn't get over it. To be honest, I don't think I ever will.

On the subject of Canadian flags on backpacks, I'm with Hunnibun. I see it all the time on the tube in London (where I live) and I just feel embarrassment for them. I really don't think the average waitress or shopkeeper in Europe really cares where you're from - they're too busy living their own lives and trying to make money. And if they judge you to be American, who cares too? Does it actually mean anything anymore? For me, when I see the flag on the backpack, the message I receive is "I'm insecure and I want you to like me". Such a bore.

For some people -- probably many people -- nationality is a major element of their sense of personal identity. They can get a bit pissed off at being taken for something else. It seems to me that this happens to Canadians more than many other national groups. So some of them might want to give an upfront message, the essence of which is "I am not an American".

I don't have an acute ear, but sometimes I recognise a Canadian by accent, and some other times I know at least that a person is not necessarily US American, and use the term "North American". Many Canadians are highly appreciative of such recognition.

In continental Europe, I am often taken as English. It doesn't bother me at all, but I generally clarify that I am Irish. I do this, not because of any worry about my own sense of identity, but because it is often an advantage to be Irish. Our image is better than we deserve.

But I would never wear a flag or emblem.

Neil:

It's not unique to Canadians. There seem to be an awful lot of Enzedders around who either stick their flag on their backpacks (usually with an 'NZ' next to it, since they know no-one can tell the difference) or inverted 'NZ' plates on the backs of their campervans.

Just as there's a remarkable number of people with St Andrews crosses on their bags or "Ecosse" or "SCO" plates on the back of British registered cars.

All because they think they'll be taken for something else. As endless says: as if anyone cared.

"To an outsider there's very little difference between the US and Canada, or between Americans and Canadians, so who cares?"

I can certainly see how it might seem that way to a visitor. The differences, however, are significant, notwithstanding the common language, availability of consumer goods, and some shared interests. Look no further than the structure of government, the distribution of power between levels of government, fiscal policy, social policy, health policy, and gun control, not to mention that one of the countries has two official languages. The list is almost endless.

I'm not saying that one is right and the other is wrong, nor that one is better than the other. There are reasons for the differences, and for many, the differences outnumber the similarities.

Anselm

"Stylistically, wearing national symbols is about on par with wearing socks with sandals."

An Australian I know used to refer to recently arrived immigrants from Britain as "the socks-and-sandals brigade." Do the Poms still emigrate to Oz?

Amen, AnselmAdorne!To an "outsider" , there is very little difference between French and Belgians, Australians and New Zealanders, the Scots and the Irish....need I go on? Of course, there SHOULD be no difference in our openess and acceptance of cultures other than our own. But "vive la difference!" After all, if we were all the same, why on earth we would bother ever to leave our home countries?

....
" I felt tothave very little sense that I'm in a different country to Canada....
Interesting. Before going to Australia I was thinking the same, but once in Oz, to me, it felt like a totally different world.
In Europe, we are always assumed to be American ( because my is very tall or because he likes to wear shorts ??)
So what .

sorry, should by my husband

>..the term "North American". Many Canadians are highly appreciative of such recognition.<

Canadians don't wish to be recognized as a separate country?

((I))

I agree with Anselm's distinction and wish to add that Canadians have always been recognized as Peace Keepers wherever they go in the world, because that has been their role in international conflicts. The similarities between Canada and the US are just surficial. At a deeper level, the differences are signficant. The US looks a lot like Canada to me too, when we travel there, but that doesn't mean there aren't differences.

Personally, I don't have a flag emblem on anything but I do (if I remember to get them) try to carry a handful of tiny Canadian flag pins to give to kids. I'm sure they don't care about the fact that they're Canadian flags -- you know kids, they like to collect stuff like that.

I have no problem with anyone wearing the flag of their country, if they choose to do it. I don't take it as an insult to my country and it gives one a nice opening for conversations with strangers.