Ethiopia’s 4th Annual Flag Day Celebrated!
The 4th Ethiopian National Flag Day was celebrated throughout the land on Monday September 26, 2011 in Addis Ababa. The theme was: “Our Flag and the Grand Renaissance Dam Are Our National Pride”.
President Girma Woldegiyorgis. President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia told those assembled for the celebrations that the national Flag symbolized the Ethiopian nations, nationalities and peoples’ quest for national pride, freedom, sovereignty, development and patriotism. He paid tribute to ‘the courageous sons and daughters of Ethiopia who had sacrificed their lives for the country and the Flag,’
It was also an opportunity to hold discussions on the ‘Five year Mobilisation Plan’
The flag as we know it was adopted in February 1996.
According to Wikipedia “It conforms to the specifications set forth in article 3 of the 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia. The three traditional colours (green, yellow and red) date back to Emperor Menelik (1889–1913) and were first used in a flag in 1897. The current flag and emblem were adopted after the defeat of the Marxist Mengistu regime (in power from 1974–1991). The emblem is intended to represent both the diversity and unity of the country. Blue represents peace, the star represents diversity and unity, and the sun’s rays symbolise prosperity. The green recalls the land, yellow stands for peace and hope, and red is symbolic of strength.”
The flag was also raised in honour of EthiopianAmericans in San Jose this September to mark a week-long celebration of the Ethiopian New Year. This special civic ceremony is a salute to the Ethiopian flag and a heartfelt remembrance of Ethiopian roots and heritage. San Jose is the only city in the nation to have established this traditional, annual acknowledgment of the heritage and history of Ethiopian-Americans. When the Ethiopian flag was first flown over New City Hall in 2005, it was an historical event in that no other foreign flag had been so honored in the history of the city.
