This is where those silk-resist-style dyed flags come in handy. :D

While every fahnlein I have ever been in has 'company' flags that are never torn (and gods forbid they ever be defiled by anyone at any time - the stories I could tell!) they all also have a seasons-flag that is only intended to be used for one year.

I will be honest and say that many of these season-flags are drop dead gorgeous. The level of artistry in some make it a shame (in some ways) that they are torn at the end of the run. On the other hand, doing so makes a powerful statement about the passing nature of beauty, life, and nature. Like memory, all things fade. Unlike memory, this thing you can take home and sew onto your hat, or tie to your basket, or place in your personal sacred space as a reminder of the events that make it so special and the people who were there with you.

*smiles*