2020-03-18 Wed

March 18 is National Anthem and Flag Day in Aruba. It is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of the national anthem and flag of Aruba in 1976.

The national flag and anthem of Aruba were adopted on 18th March 1976. The flag consists of a blue field with two narrow parallel horizontal yellow stripes and a four-pointed red star bordered with white. Every element of the flag is symbolic of the country.

The blue color of the field stands for the sky and the sea; it's also the color of hope, peace, and Aruba's future. Two narrow yellow stripes suggest the movement towards “status aparte” (Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). The yellow color of the stripes symbolize wanglo (Aruba's national flowers), the sun, gold, and abundance.

The most complex symbolism is that of the star. First of all, the star is unusual, because it has only four points, representing the four cardinal directions. These refer to the countries of origin of the Arubans. The star also represents the island itself that has red soil bordered by white beaches. The white color of the fimbriation stands for purity, honesty, and white beaches. The red color of the star symbolizes the blood the Arubans shed during the French pirates' invasion in the 17th century.

The stamp depicting 1st Jan 1986 was issued to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the flag. The stamp comes with the denomination of 100 Aruban cents and depicts the country’s national flag with the name of the country at the top left corner and the denomination at the bottom left corner.

Image Courtesy: colnect.com

Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.