Barbados Flag
🇧🇧Barbados

Barbados Flag – The Beach Behind the National Banner

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a thing for the Barbados flag. I’m talking well before Patrick snapped this photo during the latest edition of West Indian Carnival in Brooklyn. I must confess the image does add a bit of spice to my admiration of the Bajan banner, but I digress.

My First Brush With Barbados

I first set foot in Barbados way back in 1983 while en-route back to St Croix after a swim meet in Trinidad. Then as now, sadly, inter-island travel was not easy. Any hop from one island to another always meant stopping at each island between your point of embarkation and your final destination. Trips were arduous…if you were lucky.

On this particular trip back up the island chain, our first stop was in Barbados…and I couldn’t be happier.

You see, little boy me LOVED the Barbados flag. As a swimmer and a fan of Greek mythology, the trident sitting dead-center really appealed to me. That particular shade of blue also struck me in a good way. It’s just like the ocean! Taken together, the elements of the Barbados flag gave me a sense that the island must be a very special place.

Whenever I see the Barbados flag now I think many of same things. My affection for it has only grown since I’ve visited a few times and learned the significance of the flag’s symbols and colors.

Barbados Flag Colors and Meaning

The trident is a nod to the island’s independence from the UK. Each point represents the three principles of democracy – government of, for and by the Barbadian people.

As for the blue, it does in fact represent the sea. Well, at least the blue on the right side of the yellow line does. The other line of blue is for the sky. The yellow in the middle represents the island’s golden sand.

Sky, sand, and sea. Taken together, the Barbados flag is a beautiful symbol embodying one of the most special places I’ve ever visited.

My First Barbados Flag and an Unfinished Mother-Son Project

Luckily, during our stopover, we were allowed to disembark and hang out in the airport lounge for awhile. My Mom, who was traveling with me, was nice enough to succumb to my pleas and purchase a mini Barbados flag for me. I remember upon returning to our seats on the plane that she suggested that I collect all the flags of the Caribbean. I think she had a thing for flags too. Maybe she thought this could be a cool little project we could work on together. I was into it too, though we never quite completed the task.

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to use this space to finally bring this long-lost mother-son endeavor to fruition.

Read all of my posts on Caribbean national flags here.

Last updated by Steve Bennett on .

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