Ethiopia Celebrates its 8^th National Flag Day

Tigrai Online, October 17, 2015

Ethiopia has celebrated its National Flag Day for 8^th time. Ethiopians throughout Ethiopia celebrated the 8^th National Flag Day with renewed vigor and determination.

Ethiopia has celebrated its National Flag Day for 8^th time. Ethiopians throughout Ethiopia celebrated the 8^th National Flag Day with renewed vigor and determination to make their country the most successful in Africa.

The celebrations in Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia was especially colorful and with all the fan fare you can imagine. High Government officials, invited dignitaries, diplomats, and thousands of ordinary Ethiopians participated in the festive event.

Marching bands from the Ethiopian Defense Forces, the Federal Police, Addis Ababa police, and women police groups performed at the event delighting the crowds. An Ethiopian military helicopter also buzzed in the beautiful Addis Ababa blue skies to show the Ethiopian Air Forces support to the flag and the constitution of the country.

The Ethiopian federal government started the National Flag Day about 8 years ago to strengthen the unity of the people and the country around their flag. In the recent previous Ethiopian administrations the flag was seen by many people as a sign of oppression and injustice because it was presented as if it represented one ethnic group or one religion.

The Ethiopian flag is one of the oldest flags in the world tracing its creation to the Axumite kings in Tigrai, northern Ethiopia. The flag has had few changes in shape, some color and configuration throughout the adages.

The Ethiopian royal family had a lion in the middle of the flag. The Derg government of Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam had its own emblem in the center.  The current EPRDF government did exactly the same, it added its own emblem in the center of the Ethiopian flag following the practice of the two previous governments, but this time some extremists are crying foul about EPRDF.

No matter what shape it had or what emblem was in added the tri color green, yellow and red remained the same. Throughout history Ethiopians used their national flag to rally against their enemies and many has died to defend their countries flag and honor.