18 May 1803: Catherine Flon and the birth of the flag
Every 18 May, Haitians at home and abroad dress in blue and red. Schools parade, bands play, and the flag flies from balconies and car windows. The day marks a moment in 1803, in the town of Arcahaie, north of Port-au-Prince.
The Congress of Arcahaie
In May 1803 the leaders of the revolution met at Arcahaie and united their forces under Jean-Jacques Dessalines. According to tradition, Dessalines took the French tricolor and tore out the white band, leaving the blue and the red.
The woman who sewed it
Tradition gives the next part to Catherine Flon, who stitched the two remaining bands together and so made the first flag of the nation to come. She is remembered as one of the mothers of Haiti, and her portrait has appeared on Haitian banknotes.
The flag today
The flag has changed more than once since then. Today it is blue over red, with the national coat of arms at the center: a palm tree topped by a liberty cap, flags, cannons, and the motto L’union fait la force, unity makes strength. Flag Day, 18 May, is a national holiday.
