PORT-AU-PRINCE — Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, Gilbert Ménard, a taxi driver in his 40’s, remembers the joyful events held around the capital in the lead-up to and on Haiti’s Flag.  

As May dawned, smaller activities began taking place in anticipation and promotion of or Jou Drapo. The National Palace, located in the Champ-de-Mars Park, set the tone with oversized red-and-blue pom-poms hanging along its exterior, silk ribbons wrapped around its stately pillars and green fence. A few blocks away, workers cleaned and tidied the National Plaza, home to historical monuments and founding fathers statues.

Weeks prior, street vendors set up stands to sell little flags, bracelets and t-shirts around the theme. Each night, the ambiance stretched all the way in the capital’s popular neighborhoods. Click here to read more.