These Minnesotans celebrated the new flag with costumes, laser loon earrings and Lutheran sushi
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History was made in Minnesota on Saturday. The state’s new flag rose for the first time, just in time for Statehood Day.
A lot of Minnesotans have opinions on the flag. Some spent Saturday hoisting it up in their yards, while others are mourning the change. In St. Paul, one man took it to another level — he hosted a Minnesota-themed party in celebration of the new flag.
Erik Nelson is from Kansas, where Statehood Day is celebrated much more widely than Minnesota.
“It’s always a really big celebration every year,” Nelson said. “And I think Minnesota is a really wonderful state. I think sometimes Minnesotans don’t realize how wonderful it is and so I want to have an occasion for Minnesotans to get together and celebrate the wonderful state.”
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As far as the old flag, many will be archived at the Minnesota Historical Society.
The afternoon at Nelson’s party started with the Minnesota state song, “Hail! Minnesota.”
Costumes were encouraged — anything Minnesota themed. Nelson and his boyfriend, Wesley Noble, dressed as Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Adam Smith and Keely Schultz dressed as a Minnesota red pine and the new flag, complete with laser loon earrings.
Other costumes included an abstract loon, a lady slipper (the state flower), and a few other flag-inspired looks.
Guests played pin the star on the flag, crafted their own flags and indulged in classic Minnesota cuisine — blueberry muffins (the official state muffin), Minnesota shaped cookies, Lutheran sushi (also known as Minnesota sushi or ham and pickle wraps), pigs in a blanket and more.
Nelson says he was frankly bored of the old flag design. He closely followed the design process of the new one and updated Noble daily.
“It was just time for it to get changed,” Nelson said. “I hope that this new design is something that Minnesotans will rally around and it will become our common symbol.”
Photographer Liam James Doyle and MPR news senior politics reporter Dana Ferguson contributed to this report.