The Samoan flag carries the Southern Cross on a blue field, set into a red ground. Red for courage, blue for freedom, white for purity, and five stars that fix Samoa in the southern sky. It was adopted on 24 February 1949, nine years before independence.
What do the colours of the Samoan flag mean?
Red stands for courage and for the blood ties of the aiga. Blue stands for freedom, the open ocean and the independence Samoa won in 1962, the first Pacific nation of the modern era to do so. White stands for purity, and appears in the five stars of the Southern Cross.
Why does the flag show the Southern Cross?
The Southern Cross is the constellation Samoan navigators steered by. Putting it on the flag places Samoa in the sky rather than on a map, a nation defined by the ocean it crossed, not the borders drawn around it. Four larger stars and one smaller one, in the arrangement seen from Apia.
When is the Samoan flag flown?
Independence Day, 1 June, is the largest. Samoa marks the anniversary of independence from New Zealand administration in 1962. Flag Day, 17 April, is observed in American Samoa. Across the diaspora the flag also appears at White Sunday, at Teuila, at weddings, at funerals, and draped over the shoulders of anyone representing Samoa in sport.
When the flag is not the answer, the ula fala print is. The most recognisable Samoan design in the diaspora, on a soft unisex tee.
Shop it →How do you wear the Samoan flag respectfully?
The flag itself is a national symbol, and treating it as ordinary fabric, cut into garments, worn below the waist, or used as a towel, reads badly to many Samoans. Draping it over the shoulders in celebration is well established and welcomed.
If you want to carry Samoa without handling the flag itself, cultural patterns do the same work with none of the sensitivity: elei, warrior motifs and ula fala all signal identity clearly, and were made to be worn.
A quieter way to carry it. Warrior print on a necktie. Identity without draping a national flag over a formal occasion.
Shop it →Samoa and American Samoa: two flags
They are different flags for different polities. Independent Samoa uses the red field with the blue canton and Southern Cross. American Samoa, a United States territory, uses a blue, white and red flag bearing a bald eagle holding a uatogi (war club) and a fue (fly whisk), symbols of chiefly authority. Confusing the two is a common and easily avoided mistake.
Common questions
When was the Samoan flag adopted?
24 February 1949, while Samoa was still under New Zealand administration. Independence followed on 1 June 1962.
How many stars are on the Samoan flag?
Five, forming the Southern Cross, four larger stars and one smaller.
Is the American Samoa flag the same?
No. American Samoa uses a separate flag featuring a bald eagle holding a uatogi and fue. The two are frequently mixed up.
What date is Samoan Independence Day?
1 June, marking independence in 1962. American Samoa separately observes Flag Day on 17 April.
