The Samoan flag carries the Southern Cross on a blue field, set into a red ground. Red is usually read as courage, blue as freedom and white as purity, and the five stars of the Southern Cross 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?
The law that sets out the flag, the Official Flag and National Anthem of Samoa Act 1994, does not give the colours an official meaning. These are the readings Samoans most often give them.
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 came onto the flag from New Zealand's, when New Zealand administered Samoa, and it is a constellation every Pacific voyager knew. When former Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi rejected a 2011 proposal to change the flag, he put it plainly: the Southern Cross tells the world where Samoa is. There are four larger stars and one smaller one. The small fifth star is Epsilon Crucis, the faintest star of the five.
Who designed the Samoan flag?
The flag was designed by two of Samoa's paramount chiefs, Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole, while Samoa was the Territory of Western Samoa under New Zealand. It replaced the British Blue Ensign the territory had flown since 1920, and it was kept unchanged at independence in 1962.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 26 May 1948 | The first version is approved: red, with a blue corner carrying four white stars |
| 24 February 1949 | A smaller fifth star is added, completing the Southern Cross |
| 1 June 1962 | Samoa becomes independent and keeps the flag |
| 1994 | The Official Flag and National Anthem of Samoa Act sets the exact layout: twice as long as it is tall |
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.
The flag worn as a cape is the single most common thing in a Samoan stand. What to wear to a Manu Samoa game covers the rest of the kit.
Common questions
Who designed the Samoan flag?
The paramount chiefs Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole. The first, four-star version was approved on 26 May 1948.
When was the Samoan flag adopted?
The current five-star flag was adopted on 24 February 1949, while Samoa was still under New Zealand administration. A four-star version had been approved on 26 May 1948. Independence followed on 1 June 1962.
Why is one star on the Samoan flag smaller?
The smaller star is Epsilon Crucis, the faintest star in the Southern Cross. It was added on 24 February 1949, a year after the first four-star version.
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.
