Regional/Cultural Day
Dia da Restauração
The anniversary of the 2002 restoration of independence (after Indonesian occupation 1975-1999 and UN administration 1999-2002). The celebration includes a military parade, the president's address, and the flying of the Timorese flag : red, yellow, black, and white with a star. That star on the flag points to the future, not the past. The black triangle represents the obscurity of colonialism; the star represents the light of independence. But look closely : it's a five-pointed star, representing the five regions of Timorese identity. The flag was designed in 1975, banned for 24 years, and raised again in 2002. It's a survivor, just like the country.