The Trinidad Flag

Red, white & black - the colors of a nations pride...

There are few things that unite Trinis like the Trinidad flag. National pride runs rampant particularly at international sporting events, like during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing when Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago won the silver medal in the men's 100 meter. Or, at the 2007 World Cup qualifier when Trinidad and Tobago's soccer team, the "Soca Worriers", won a place at the finals in Germany, the smallest nation every to qualify. At such times the country figuratively blushes red, white and black with pride, and Trinidad and Tobago flags sprout from every car, window and doorway.

 Trinidad and Tobago Flag 

The Trinidad and Tobago flag was born in 1962 when the country gained its independence from Britain.

The colors of the national flag represent the elements. Red symbolized fire, the energy of the sun, and the courage and warmth of the people. Black symbolizes earth, strength, unity of purpose, and the natural bounty of the land. And White symbolizes water, the sea that surrounds the land, the cradle of the nations heritage, the purity of national aspirations, and the equality of all men. In this land where, as the national anthem says, "every creed and race finds an equal place".

 Trini to the Bone 

A famous Trinidad calypsonian and national treasure, David Rudder, made an insightful observation in his calypso "Trini to the Bone", that when Trinidadians party they do so as one family, with no political, racial or social divides.

In fact, Trinidadians are known worldwide for their ability to turn any event into a party, whether it be a small gathering at someones home, any sporting event that includes a Trinidad and Tobago team, or a visit to the beach.

 National Pride 

In 2009 when the West Indies Cricket Team beat Britain in a test match, after a long drought, people pored out into the streets around the Oval in Port-of-Spain, in a spontaneous Carnival-like celebration. Even British visitors, in Trinidad to support their Cricket team, joined in the fun, and you can bet there was some flag waving that day - Trinidad flags, Jamaican flags, Barbadian flags, and the flags of every other Caribbean island.

 World's Greatest Street Party 

Carnival is another occasion when national pride blossoms in Trinidad and Tobago. The celebration of Carnival is similar to Thanksgiving in the USA or Christmas in Britain, in that it is the time when many people return home.

At Carnival time the country is packed with expatriates, Trinis from all over the world, back in Trinidad to play mas, visit family and friends, demonstrate pride in their heritage, and both literally and figuratively wave the national flag of Trinidad and Tobago.

Visitors, who join Trinidadians on their trek home, question why they have not visited Trinidad and Tobago before. Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is one of the truest expressions of freedom available to anyone who enjoys a good time. It's no wonder that the Trinidad flag is so proudly displayed during Carnival – an event that is arguably the world's greatest street party.