The Italian national team of flag  throwers was in Washington on Mother’s day weekend where they demonstrated on Saturday at the Italian Embassy on the occasion of  the European Day

celebration: “Shortcut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House”, and on Sunday at Casa Italiana Cultural Center.  The art of flag throwing dates back to medieval guilds  in Italy.  A guild’s banner or flag was considered a symbol of purity, and as such it was not allowed to touch the ground.