The national flag of Timor-Leste is bold and striking: a red background with a black triangle at the left edged in yellow, and a white five-pointed star at its centre. Each colour has a meaning: red for courage, black for the challenges that were overcome, yellow for the country's riches and resources, and white for peace. On 20 May, flags hang from every building, window and tree.
In Dili, a big parade takes place in the morning with school groups marching, traditional dancers performing and musicians playing. Children dress in the colours of the flag and carry banners with messages about their hopes for the future. Many schools spend weeks preparing performances, costumes and artwork to display on the day.
In villages across the country, the celebration is more intimate — families gather, elders tell stories, tebe-tebe circles form and special food is prepared. Each community marks the day in its own way, but the feeling is the same everywhere: pride in the country's identity and gratitude for the life it makes possible.
At midnight on 19 May, as the clock ticks into 20 May, fireworks burst over Dili harbour and the crowd cheers. It is one of the happiest sounds in the Timorese year — a country celebrating its own existence, together.