A Brief History Of The Belgian Flag
Black, yellow and red in vertical stripes and in that exact order: it’s the pattern of the flag that waves proudly during special Belgian occasions – such as the birthday of the elegant Queen Mathilde – and the inspiration for the special outfit nearly half of the country dons on any Red Devils match day. While its existence is taken for granted now, the Belgian people needed to show an extraordinary revolutionary spirit before they were able to acquire a flag and nation of their own. And then came the struggle of picking the right pattern.
With the revolution that started in August 1830 and the birth of a nation came the need for a Belgian flag. Given the use of the Brabantian colors (a dukedom in northern Flanders where the revolutionary gusto was particularly strong) during an earlier attempt at independence in 1790, the choice was an easy one. The colors of the Belgians were to be black for humility, yellow for prosperity, and finally red for victory. They are immortalized in the Constitution in Article 193: “The Belgian Nation chooses for its colors red, yellow and black …”, and that was that.
Although not really, because that isn’t the actual order Belgians use today. So does this mean Belgian citizens have been unknowingly turning their flag the wrong way for 185 years in a row? Not exactly. As it turns out the lack of specificity in the description had some people assuming that the flag’s colors would be horizontal, like they were in the one used before and during the actual revolution: red on top, yellow in the middle and black at the bottom. The Constitution’s vagueness on the matter led to confusion running rampant with horizontal flags with red on top and ones with black on top, and a few vertical ones thrown in for safe measure.
This really became a problem when Belgian rebels started firing away at their own troops because they confused their country’s flag with the Dutch one, which has red on top, in the midst of all the canon smoke. The incidents prompted a swift decision on the flag’s features once and for all and the current reincarnation with a horizontal stripe of black attached to the stick was introduced. Article 193 was never amended however, making quirky Belgium the only country in the world that doesn’t literally follow the flag order its Constitution prescribes.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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