February 24th Mexican Flag Day

The Mexican national flag is a symbol of freedom, justice and nationality. Its shield and colors represent the origin, principle, courage and struggle of Mexicans.

The Mexican flag dates from 1821, when the military Agustin de Iturbide promulgated the «Plan of Iguala», in its most important points it declared Mexico as a sovereign and independent country and established three fundamental points: it declared the independence of Mexico from Spain, established the Catholic religion as an official and unique religion of the nation and was betting for the union of all, whether Spanish, Americans, Africans or Asians.

This would give shape and color to the first Mexican flag, the white color representing the purity of the Catholic religion, the green the independence and the red the Union of the Europeans and the Americans.

José Magdaleno Ocampo was the tailor to whom Agustín de Iturbide commissioned to put together the first Tricolor National flag, with diagonal fringes of red, green and white; with a star in each strip and in the center a decorated imperial Crown; with an incarnate bottom and was adorned with the words religion, independence, union, so it was called the Three Guarantees.

However, the meaning of the colors changed after the 3 Years’ War (1857-1861), between conservatives and liberals, which ended with the Liberals victory and the proclamation of Benito Juárez as President; Since then the green symbolizes hope, the white unity and the red the blood shed by the national heroes. The national shield is an eagle on a nopal, the history of the national shield is that it is inspired by the legend of the foundation of Tenochtitlan, which narrates that the God Huitzilopoztli indicated the Aztecs to establish their city where they found an eagle Perched on a cactus, devouring a serpent. After 200 years of searching for this place, the Mexicas found the signal on the islet of Tlacocomolco in the lake of Texcoco.

The current design of the National Emblem is the work of the architects Pedro Moctezuma Díaz Infante and Francisco Eppes Helguera, and consists of a profile eagle on the left side, displaying the upper wings in combat attitude; With fallen plumage touching the tail and feathers in a natural fan-shaped. Resting its left claw on a flowered nopal that is born in a rock that emerges from a lake, grasp with the right and the beak, in an attitude to devour a curved serpent, so that it harmonizes with the whole. Several cladodes of the Nopal branch to the sides. Two branches, one of encino in front of the eagle and another of laurel to the opposite side, shaping between both a lower semicircle united by a ribbon and divided into three strips that, when the national coat is represented, match those of the National Flag.

Today the eagle represents the Mexican people, in their combative posture; The serpent symbolizes the enemies of Mexico; The serpent being devoured by the eagle, testifies that the Mexican people will prevail over their enemies. The nopal with its thorns is a symbol of the struggles and challenges to face. The Eagle resting on the nopal represents the capacity of the Mexican people to overcome adversity.

The Constitution establish that when the flag parades in front of a group of people, the ones in military uniforms must present a greeting according to their regulations and the civilians must make the following greeting to the national flag: Standing firm, the civilian raises his right arm and places his right hand on the chest, in front of the heart. The hand should be open and the palm of it towards the floor.

When the President of the Mexican Republic is in the capacity of Supreme commander of the armed forces, he salutes the national flag with military greeting. When the national anthem is played on television at the opening or closing of the daily programming, the flag must be displayed at the same time.

Article 15 of the Law on the Coat of Arms, National Flag and the Anthem indicates that in the schools of Mexico the flag will be honored every Monday, ceremony that consists in reciting an official oath to the flag, the parade of the flag and the interpretation of the National Hymn.

The same law stipulates that the Secretariat of the Interior shall be in charge of supervising that the patriotic symbols are not disregarded and/or that colours or shields are modified, and if so, it will be punishable with a fine.

February 24th in Mexico is solemnly established as Flag day. Special radio and television programmes to disseminate the history and significance of the national flag must be broadcast on this day. On this date, the three powers of government will carry out civic ceremonies in commemoration, veneration and exaltation of the national flag.