ABSTRACT
In the summer months towns and villages in Northern Ireland are bedecked with colorful displays of fl ags, arches, and banners. Visitors, especially in the month of July, might come across a band parade marching briskly to the sounds of fl utes and drums. The dominant colors are cheerful, with the red, white, and blue of fl ags, buntings and arches, and frequently painted curbstones and roundabouts. Celebration seems to be the order of the day and in the face of such jubilation it is sometimes diffi cult to realize that these displays visually articulate a tradition that is not shared by everyone in the community. In fact parades can be so controversial that each is vetted by a Parades Commission, which has the power to place conditions, including area and route restrictions, on where and when they can take place.1 And, although there is a widely accepted political settlement in place, visitors might still be warned to be careful what they say and where they say it, or advised to avoid certain areas where they might feel uncomfortable.2 “Whatever you say, say nothing” is a common phrase in Northern Ireland; it means the less information you pass to others about yourself the better, but it often appears to be paradoxical that words are to be avoided yet fl ags, banners, murals, and arches are robust, and diffi cult to avoid, declarations of identity and affi liation.3
