Today is the 220th anniversary of the creation of the Haitian flag as we know it and it’s the second greatest day in the history of Haiti since it’s independence from France a year later on January 1st, 1804, being the only other country second to the United States to fight for and win its freedom from a colonial mother country. The flag stands for a lot of things and Haitians and those in the diaspora are proud to wave her in the air as a form of pride and excellence every May 18th and throughout the years and will continue on in the coming years.
Haiti has been through a lot over the years and has done everything in her power to remain equally at the top, although she is always seen as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (a remark that is so sickening that it’s not even speaking about because no country is perfect, not even the leaders who manage it) and the ones who DO run it seem to have a problem with thinking about the citizens let alone see to their needs, no matter what.
The flag is a bicolor flag featuring two horizontal bands colored blue at the top and red at the bottom and bearing the coat of arms of Haiti. The coat of arms depict a trophy of weapons atop a green hill and a royal palm symbolizing independence The palm is capped with the Cap of Liberty, the motto “L’Union Fait La Force” (Unity Makes Strength) appears on a white ribbon below the arrangement.
The Haitian flag has gone through a lot of changes over the years, from its first inception in 1804, the kingdom years of the 1800’sand early 1900’s, the years of the father/son dictatorship of Papa Doc (1957-1971) and Baby Doc (1971-1986) and now to its present form and has been that way since the downfall of Baby Doc in 1986. It waves high and proud in the air when present in the view of those who love her since its birth on May 18th, 1803 and has been flying high for the last 220 years of its existence and will never stop flying for she is celebrated and looked upon as a symbol of strength, integrity, excellence and triumph, no matter what situation the country has been in and what’s it’s going through in 2023…
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