White — Flag

While the exact beginning is lost to time, historians have documented several early uses:

: It is believed that approximately 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, the Chinese used white as a color for mourning, which eventually evolved into a symbol of surrender.

White was chosen for its high visibility and neutrality. In ancient times, it was easier to find plain white cloth (often made of wool or linen) than dyed fabrics. It serves as a "blank canvas" that does not align with any specific faction’s colors, making it a universal tool for communication. Legal and Global Recognition

: Heralds used white wands and standards to distinguish themselves from combatants. By the 16th and 17th centuries, white was a standard indicator of a person being exempt from combat. Why White?

: Historian Livy recorded a Carthaginian ship using "white wool and branches of olive" to signal defeat during the Second Punic War (218 B.C.). In 69 A.D., Tacitus noted white flags were used by Vitellian forces surrendering at the Second Battle of Cremona.