Sun of May

The Sun of May (Spanish: Sol de Mayo) is a national symbol of Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador, appearing on each of their flags.

[1] The specification "of May" is a reference to the May Revolution which took place in the week from 18 to 25 May 1810, which marked the beginning of the independence from the Spanish Empire for the countries that were then part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.

Inspired by the Latin American wars of independence, the Philippines, which was a fellow former Spanish colony, also adopted the Sun of May as a revolutionary banner.

In form, it is similar to—and may be partially derived from—the sun in splendour, which is common in European heraldry.

A 1978 law describing the official ceremonial flag of Argentina specifies that the sun must be golden yellow in color (amarillo oro), have an inner diameter of 10 cm, and an outer diameter of 25 cm (the diameter of the sun equals 5⁄6 the height of the white stripe, and the sun's face is 2⁄5 of its height), must feature 32 rays (16 undulated and 16 straight in alternation),[3] and must be embroidered in the official ceremonial flag.