The day begins with an official ceremony in Lomé, where the green, yellow, and red Togolese flag is raised to cheers and the playing of the national anthem. The flag's colours have meaning: green stands for hope and the country's forests, yellow for faith and the minerals in Togo's soil, and red for the courage and blood of those who worked for independence. In the centre of the flag is a white five-pointed star representing purity and life.
After the ceremony, the streets fill with parades. School children march in neat uniforms, drummers beat exciting rhythms, and dancers in traditional costumes spin and leap along the road. Market stalls sell street food and the national colours - green, yellow, and red - appear on face paint, balloons, and decorations everywhere you look.
Independence Day is also a moment for Togolese people to think about what makes their country special - the diverse cultures, the languages, the landscapes from the savannah in the north to the beaches in the south, and the many communities that together make Togo what it is. It is a birthday party for an entire nation.