Literal Translation
The cross and the banner
Actual Meaning
Something that is extremely difficult to do
Etymology
This expression, which conveys the difficulty, complexity or hardship of a situation, is thought to have originated in 15th-century Italy. At that time, religion played an important role in society and, more than the calendar, life was punctuated by religious festivals. These were major liturgical festivals such as Easter, Christmas, Ascension Day, etc., but also Rogation Days (preparation for Ascension Day and protection and blessing of crops), votive festivals and parish pilgrimages.
On these occasions, which were very numerous at the time, processions were organised in towns and villages. These were large-scale events that mobilised the entire population of a parish community. At the head of the procession, the cross, the spiritual emblem par excellence, was carried to show the way. Behind it came various banners. Each had its own meaning, which could be a way of honouring the Virgin Mary, the emblem of religious or professional guilds, which played a major role at the time, the honoured saint, a parish, a neighbourhood or a notable figure…
Behind the solemn or festive appearance lies a highly ritualised ceremony and formidable organisation. Those in charge of preparing the event must adhere to countless rules, particularly regarding the order of participants. Each religious order and each member has their place. The hierarchy must be respected while taking everyone’s sensibilities into account. This is an extremely difficult task that can become a real headache…
In 1690, Antoine Furetière, a French clergyman, writer and lexicographer, expressed this idea of the difficulties caused by protocol requirements in his Dictionnaire Universel: “It is also said of a man that it is difficult to get him to come to one’s house, that one must have the Cross & the Banner to get him. It is also said of those who are given a grand reception that one goes out to meet them with the Cross and the Banner.‘ The use of the expression then spread to everyday language and today, it can be ’the Cross and the Banner” to find a parking space in certain neighbourhoods, carry out administrative procedures or get a quick medical appointment.