Flag Day in Haiti: An American's Perspective
By RossS, 5th Jun 2012 | Follow this author
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As an American, the chance to experience Flag Day in Haiti was an exciting experience.
Flag Day in Haiti: An American's Perspective
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting the country of Haiti. My purpose there was to serve alongside an organization called “Mission to Haiti” (www.missiontohaiti.org) by teaching a VBS and helping with food distribution. However, I also got to do a little sightseeing and gain some interesting cultural experiences.
It just so happened that my visit fell on Haiti’s “Flag Day.” This is roughly equivalent to America’s Fourth of July. It is a celebration of the country’s flag, and consequently the main celebration is held in Arcahaie, the city where the Haitian flag was born.
Since there was no ministry opportunities that day because of the holyday, we traveled the hour long trip to this city to observe the celebrations. Parades filled multiple city streets as music filled the air and vendors filled the streets. Several thousands of Haitians were gathered for the festivities, and for the chance to see the president speak. It was a unique experience for us, we spotted only three or four other white people in the entire city. Needless to say, we stuck out.
Our skin color wasn’t necessarily a bad thing though. While it did label us as “rich foreigners” (resulting in two of our men having their pockets picked), it also brought special privileges. After a short time of wading through the dense crowd, security took notice of us and the crowds began to part like the Red Sea. To make a long story short, we ended up in the press booth with front row seats to the parades and to the president’s address.
The festivities were fun to watch. Several different parade groups, military displays, and the military band had their time in front of the church in which the president was attending a ceremony. We must have looked a little peculiar, a small group of funny looking white people crammed into a raised booth with dozens of reporters and an array of cameras. I did get to see the president from just about twenty yards away, along with several other foreign dignitaries.
While it was not quite the same as our 4th of July in the states, Haiti’s Flag Day was a good experience. I don’t know if I will ever get to experience it again; but if I do, my Haitian friend promised to get me a seat in the presidential booth.
Comments
5th Jun 2012 (#)
Nice article sharing ur experience.
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