The Sacred Red and White
The Indonesian flag is called ‘the sacred red and white’, and at times ‘the red and white flag’. Every so often, the flag will even be called ‘the red and white’. This national flag was introduced publicly in ’45, and hence was first hoisted on Indonesian flag poles that same year. The design of this national banner has remained as it first was ever since.
This bicolor flag displays two colors only. These are displayed through two horizontal bands that each have the same size. An international flag that very much resembles the Indonesian banner is the Polish flag.
The use of the colors red and white is based on their use on a banner that was displayed during the 1200s, indeed during the Majapahit Empire. Some historic professionals have said however that the admiration for the colors red and white dates back even further. These use of the colors for flag-designs are common in Asia, and in other parts of the world. Since it is common in Asia, I wouldn’t be surprised that the historic use of these colors became reason for other nations in the vicinity of Indonesia to adopt similar colors.
Another theory that has spread in years is that this national standard is based on the design of the Dutch national flag. The Dutch flag also used the colors red and white, and blue, unlike the Indonesian banner. The Netherlands colonized Indonesia in the past, and during colonial times, the Indonesian colors were banner and the Dutch flag was raised on Indonesian flagpoles for years. The Dutch triband was damaged by organizations that fought and sought independence. In damaging the flag, they only tore the bottom horizontal band, leaving only the red and white horizontal band.
The president’s flag is colored in yellow and shows a star within a wreath or rice and cotton, all in gold. The jack of Indonesia is made up of nine horizontal stripes, alternating in the colors red and white. The use of this banner is reserved for the country’s navy only, and hence is hoisted on naval flag poles solely. It is flown from all the different Indonesian ship masts. Now and then, the flag is called ‘war snakes’, probably because the flag’s design resembles a snake pattern.
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