Portal:Mexico/Symbols

Main page   Symbols   Things you can do   Symbols The Coat of Arms of Mexico has been an important symbol of Mexican politics and culture for centuries. The coat of arms depicts a Mexican golden eagle, perched upon a cactus, devouring a snake. To the Aztecs this would have strong religious connotations, but to the Europeans, it would come to symbolize the triumph of good over evil The Flag of Mexico or Mexico is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with the national coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these three colors were adopted by Mexico following independence from Spain during the country's War of Independence. The National Anthem of Mexico (Spanish: Himno Nacional Mexicano) was officially adopted in 1943. The lyrics of the national anthem, which allude to Mexican victories in the heat of battle and cries of defending the homeland, were composed by poet Francisco González Bocanegra in 1853, after his fiancée locked him in a room. Law on the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem The Law on the National Coat of Arms, Flag and Anthem (Spanish: Ley sobre el Escudo, la Bandera y el Himno Nacionales) is a set of rules and guidelines passed by the Mexican government on the display and use of the flag (bandera), coat of arms (escudo) and the anthem (himno). The original law was passed in 1984 and it contains 7 chapters, a preamble and a section that contains the lyrics of the national anthem. The law itself was changed several times, most recently in 2005.Chapter One consists of two sentences, simply stating that the flag, arms and anthem are the symbols of the country.Chapter Two consisting of three articles, contains brief descriptions of each national symbol.Chapter Three consisting of two articles, describes how the coat of arms can be made or used.Chapter Four describes about the national flag in detail, is the longest of the three chapters on each symbol. Evolution of the Mexican Flag Standard of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Used by Miguel Hidalgo during the declaration of independence, September 16, 1810. First National Flag Used from 1821–1823 during the First Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide. Second National Flag Used from 1823–1864 during the establishment of the Mexican Republic. Third National Flag Used from 1864–1867 during the Second Mexican Empire of Maximilian I. Proportions 1:2 Second National Flag Readoption (1867–1968) Readopted from 1867–1893 during the reestablishment of the Mexican Republic. Used from 1893–1916. Used from 1916–1934, officially adopted by President Venustiano Carranza. Proportions 2:3 Used from 1934–1968, Coat of Arms designed by Jorge Enciso. Proportions 2:3 Fourth National Flag Adopted September 16, 1968 to present day. Coat of Arms designed by Architect Francisco Eppens Helguera.