Haitian Flag Day / Bon Fet Drapo

🇭🇹Haitian Flag Day/Bon Fet Drapo

There are around 25 nationally celebrated holidays in Haiti. These range from agriculture day, to Corpus Christi, to Day of the Dead (All souls day). But arguably one of the most celebrated holidays of this culturally rich nation is Haitian Flag Day, May 18th. Haitian flag day is not just about the creation of the Haitian flag, it also celebrates what this beautiful image symbolizes.

Discovered on the first voyage of the Christopher Columbus, the Europeans landed in Haiti believing it to be India or China. The native Taino people inhabited the land and were quickly killed off by the colonists. Due to the country's rich soil and beautiful mountains, Haiti became the world producer of sugarcane. In order to sustain this production, the French and Spanish brought slaves to work in horrendous conditions under their rule. Soon the slaves far outnumbered the colonists and whispers of a revolution began to spread across the island. In 1791 the Haitian Revolution began. Led by three former slaves, Louveture, Dessaline, and Christophe, a bloody battle for freedom was taking place.

But the revolution wasn’t just about ending slavery, it was also about independence from France. After many years and many lost lives, in 1804, the First Black Republic was born.

The most successful slave revolt in human history pulses deep in the veins of the Haitian people and fuels the passion and the pride of the nation and is what Haitian Flag Day is all about.

🇭🇹So How did a revolution turn into a flag?

During the revolution, founding father Louverture was captured, but Dessalines and other leaders desired to continue the fight and organized a march, on May 18th 1803, through the city now known as Port-au-Prince. In order to symbolize the troops, Dessaline carried a flag. The new Haitian flag.

Catherine Flon, a Haitian woman, helped create this strong symbol of freedom by starting with the blue, white and red bands from the French flag, but to indicate that France no longer controlled the nation, removed the white. The blue band symbolized the black band symbolized the mixed race people of Haiti, and the red band symbolized their blood. Although the flag itself has changed throughout the years, Flag Day stands strong in its celebration.

🇭🇹The current Haitian flag:

⚉ Today the Haitian flag is made up of two horizontal bands. The blue on top and the red on bottom. The slogan L’union fait la force is stated in a banner across the bottom meaning “In unity we find strength”, a perfect statement for this strong and inspiring nation.

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