Haitian Flag Day Celebration 2025

Note to Community Members

Due to threats to immigrants and ICE detaining migrants in our local community, we will not celebrate Haitian Flag Day in Downtown Salisbury as we have previously done. Please join us at our location on 350 Cypres St. Salisbury, MD 21801

About HFD

Haitian Flag Day is celebrated annually on May 18th. The Haitian flag is a source of pride for Haitians worldwide. Haiti is the first black republic in the world and the second country formed in the Western Hemisphere after the United States.

The original flag was sewn on May 18, 1803 by Catherine Flon in Arcahaie, Haiti. She is the goddaughter of Haitian revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines. It is believed that he took the French flag and ripped the white center to bring the red and blue together. Centuries later and the flag has gone through various changes. The current flag consists of two horizontal blocks of color. The color blue represent's Haiti's Black citizens and the red for the mulatto Haitians. In the center there is a coat of arms that consists of a palm tree surmounted by a liberty cap and flanked by flags, rifles, hatchets, cannon, anchors, masts (in the background), and other symbols. The motto “L’Union fait la force” (“Unity makes strength”) is included on the coat of arms. 

Sources: http://www.haitiobserver.com/haitian-flag.html 

https://www.haiti.org/flag-and-coat-of-arms/ 

https://haitiantimes.com/2012/05/05/the-meaning-of-the-haitian-flag/