Haiti marks 223rd Flag Day with official celebrations, parades and call for unity
Despite Haiti’s ongoing insecurity crisis, Flag and University Day celebrations highlighted national pride, unity and renewed calls for peace and stability in Port-au-Prince. In other cities, including Cap-Haïtien, Fort-Liberté, Gonaïves, Port-de-Paix and Léogâne, celebrations included street parades and public festivities. The post Haiti marks 223rd Flag Day with official celebrations, parades and call for unity appeared first on The Haitian Times.
Black News 
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti marked the 223rd anniversary of its blue-and-red flag May 18 with celebrations across the country as officials, schoolchildren, marching bands and community groups gathered in cities including Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien and Leogane for official ceremonies, parades, cultural activities and public tribute honoring Haiti’s independence history.
The commemoration honors the creation of the national flag at the Congress of Arcahaie in 1803 and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made in Haiti’s struggle for independence.
May 18 also marks Youth and University Day, a tradition that recognizes the role of students and young people in shaping the country’s future and preserving its national identity.
In the capital, the celebration was marked by official ceremonies held at the National Palace, art exhibitions and demonstrations calling for peace while denouncing corruption and foreign interference.
For a second consecutive year in Port-au-Prince, the government avoided traditional street parades featuring marching bands, students and members of the armed forces, opting instead for activities inside the National Palace because of insecurity and gang violence. Authorities also canceled the customary trip to Arcahaie — the birthplace of Haiti’s flag — because gangs control key roads leading to the city.
This year’s Flag and University Day was celebrated under the theme: “Together with the Grenadiers, let’s make the flag fly higher,” translated from the Haitian Creole slogan “Ansanm ak grenadye yo, ann fè drapo a flote pi wo!”
For many Haitians, the annual celebration remains a symbol of pride and unity despite the country’s deepening political and security crisis.
During the official ceremony, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé called for national unity, saying Haitians must see themselves as one people despite political divisions. He urged political actors to draw inspiration from the Congress of Arcahaie, where Haiti’s revolutionary leaders put aside personal interests to unite the country.
“This flag is not just a symbol but a promise that unity is our greatest strength.”
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier FilsAimé
“This flag is not just a symbol but a promise that unity is our greatest strength,” Fils-Aimé said, reaffirming his government’s commitment to restoring security and organizing elections.
“I will continue to fight insecurity as the only way for the country to regain stability so the flag can fly proudly across the national territory,” he added.
In Cap-Haitien, a city deeply tied to Haiti’s independence history, large crowds gathered for the celebration, during which children and youth marched through the streets in red-and-blue sequined dresses and white military-style uniforms, flags in hand. In other cities, including Léogane and Fort-Liberté, celebrations included street parades and public festivities
Here are some photos and videos of the different celebrations commemorating the 223rd anniversary of Flag Day in Port-au-Prince and other cities
Léogâne festivities highlight both national pride and rich cultural heritage
In Leogane, schools and community groups organized patriotic parades, musical performances and public festivities honoring Haiti’s history and cultural heritage.
The post Haiti marks 223rd Flag Day with official celebrations, parades and call for unity appeared first on The Haitian Times.
