The national flag of Indonesia, which is known as Sang Saka Merah-Putih ("The Sacred Red-and-White") or Bendera Merah-Putih ("The Red-and-White Flag") or simply Merah-Putih ("The Red-and-White") in Indonesian,[1] is based on the banner of the 13th century Majapahit Empire in East Java. The flag itself was introduced and hoisted in public at the Indonesian Independence Day ceremony, on 17 August 1945. The design of the flag has remained the same ever since.
Its colors are derived from the banner of the 13th century Majapahit Empire.[4] However it was suggested that the reverence for the colors red and white can trace its origin to older common Austronesian mythology of Mother Earth and Father Sky; boths symbolize in colors red (earth) and white (sky). This is one of the reasons why the colors red and white appears in many of the flags throughout Austronesia — from Tahiti to Indonesia and Madagascar.
