February 24 is established as the Flag Day. In this day special TV and radio programs are broadcasted, in order to diffuse the the history and meaning of the Flag."
Since February 24th, 1937, there are public festivities on the Flag day in front of the monument to the General don Vicente Guerrero, the first Mexican military that swore to the flag in the famous hug of Acatempan on March 12, 1821.
From 1936 to 1939 Mexico sided with the Spanish Republican government in their civil war, giving them support in the way of weapons and recognition of the legal government, even after their defeat. Mexico declared war on the Axis powers in 1942, after German submarines sank a number of Mexican ships. The country fielded a fighter squadron that fought in the liberation of The Philippines in 1945. In addition, thousands of volunteers joined and fought in the Allied armies.
Mexican Flag:
Green is for hope and victory.
White is for the purity of our ideals.
Red is for the blood our national heroes shed.
In addition to the bands of color, flag also has an emblem.
The emblem is based on a legend which tells how the Mexicans traveled from Aztlán (now the state of Nayarit) in search of the sign that Huitzilopochtli had told them they would find in the place where they should establish their empire. This sign was an eagle on top of a Nopal cactus devouring a serpent. They found this on a small island in the middle of a lake. They settled there and founded the city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City.
The History of Mexican National Anthem:
On November 12th, 1853, during the presidency of General Mariano Arista, a literary contest was held to select the lyrics of the National Anthem. On February 3rd, 1854, the Official Journal of the Federation published the name of the winner: Francisco González Bocanegra, from San Luis Potosí. This same day, another competition was staged to set music to the lyrics of the National Anthem. The commission formed to select the music from a total of 15 compositions. On August 12th, 1854, the composition God and Freedom, by Jaime Nunó, was declared the winner. Jaime Nunó was born in San Juan de las Abadesas, Gerona, Spain, in September 1825. The National Anthem of the United Mexican States was heard in public for the first time on September 16th 1854.
|