United Haitian Community Association board President Celicus Lamicia.
PHILIPSBURG--United Haitian Community Association board President Celicus Lamicia invites the public to the Philipsburg Cultural Centre to celebrate Haiti’s Flag Day today, Thursday. The event will begin at 7:00pm and entrance is free. The first purely Haitian flag was adopted on May 18, 1803, on the last day of the Congress of Arcahaie, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) North of Port-au-Prince. Revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines created the flag by taking a French tricolour and ripping out the white centre, which he discarded.
He then asked Catherine Flon, his god-daughter, to sew the remaining bands together. The white pale removed, the blue was taken to represent Haiti’s black citizens and the red the gens de couleur.
The story is widely known in Haiti: the anniversary of the date is celebrated as the Haitian Flag Day and images of Catherine Flon have appeared on Haitian currency and stamps.
“We will be having different performances and drinks and snacks for the public. We want people to see the culture and display of talent from Haiti,” stated Lamicia.
