The red scarf is a

neckerchief A neckerchief (from ''neck'' (n.) + ''kerchief''), sometimes called a necker, kerchief or scarf, is a type of neckwear associated with those working or living outdoors, including farm labourers, cowboys and sailors. It is most commonly still seen ...

worn by

young pioneer A pioneer movement is an organization for children operated by a communist party. Typically children enter into the organization in elementary school and continue until adolescence. The adolescents then typically join the Young Communist League ...

s of several countries during the communist era. In the Soviet Union it was known as ''pionerskiy galstuk'' (пионерский галстук, i. e. pioneer's neckerchief), in Vietnam as ''khăn quàng đỏ'' (red scarf), in China as ''hóng lǐngjīn'' (紅領巾/红领巾，red scarf), in Cuba as ''pañoleta roja'' (red scarf), and in Hungary as ''úttörőnyakkendő'' (pioneer's neckerchief). Blue scarves were also used by youngsters before coming of age to wear the red one, and are still seen in some countries.

Background

It remains in use by the young pioneer organizations of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

, and

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, and — unofficially, on occasions — in many other countries, such as

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

etc. In China, the scarf is emblematic of blood of revolutionary

Red Guards Red Guards () were a mass student-led paramilitary social movement mobilized and guided by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 through 1967, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a Red Guard lead ...

, as recalled in

Red Scarf Park Honglingjin Park () is a public park in Beijing. The park, designated a national AAA scenic spot, lies at the junction of East 4th Ring Road and Chaoyang North Road, to the northeast of Honglingjin Bridge, about 10 kilometers from the center o ...

and the title of

Red Scarf Girl ''Red Scarf Girl'' is a historical memoir written by Ji-li Jiang about her experiences during the Cultural Revolution of China, with a foreword by David Henry Hwang. Ji-li Jiang was very important in her classroom and was respected until 1966 w ...

by Ji-li Jiang about her experiences during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

. In Cuba, the scarf is worn by schoolchildren from first to sixth grade.

Other users

A red scarf was introduced into the

Republic of Korea Air Force The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF; ko, 대한민국 공군; RR: ''Daehanminguk Gong-gun''), also known as the ROK Air Force or South Korean Air Force, is the aerial warfare service branch of South Korea, operating under the Ministry of N ...

as a device to aid visual location of downed South Korean airmen, it became and remains an iconic item of uniform in the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Foulards Rouges

A red scarf ("''foulard rouge''") was adopted as the symbol of those counter-protesting the excesses and violence of the

yellow vests movement The Yellow Vests Protests or Yellow Jackets Protests or Yellow Vests Revolution (french: Mouvement des gilets jaunes, ) are a series of populist, grassroots weekly protests in France that began on 17 November 2018. At first the protestors advoc ...

("''gilets jaunes''").

Gallery

File:Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers at the Southeast Asian Games 2003.jpg, Pioneers in Vietnam, 2003 File:Uruguayan schoolchildren.jpg, Cuban schoolchildren wearing blue scarves, 2006

References

External links

{{Pioneer movement Scarves Communism Marxism–Leninism