The Secret History Behind Barbados' Flag
Barbados' flag has a trident, and it is broken on purpose.
The flag was chosen in an open national competition, and the winning design, by Grantley W. Prescod, beat a field of about a thousand entries. It was officially adopted on November 30, 1966, the day the country gained independence.
The two outer stripes are ultramarine, for the sea and the sky, and the middle stripe is gold, for the sand. The black trident comes from the colonial arms, where it was held by Britannia. Its shaft is broken, which stands for the break from colonial rule, and its three points for the principles of democracy: government of, for and by the people.
The date printed on every Barbados design in our catalog, November 30, 1966, is Independence Day.
A broken trident and a country whole.
Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.