 |
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. |
Mexico was originally ruled by the
Aztecs, one of the seven tribes that settled in the area
of what is today the capital of the republic, from the
land of Aztlan. The country was colonized by the Spanish
from 1521 until 1821, when the war for independence was
won. The country established first a Republic and later
a monarchy.
Mexico still endured internal
fighting between the liberal and conservative factions.
The country also suffered foreign intervention from
France and the United States. To the later country
Mexico lost half its territory in the treaties of
Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848.
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.
National Anthem:
|
English
Version |
Spanish
Version |
Chorus
Mexicans, at the cry of war,
prepare the steel and the steed,
and may the earth shake at its core
to the resounding roar of the cannon.
I
Gird, oh country, your brow with olive
the divine archangel of peace,
for your eternal destiny was written
in the heavens by the hand of God.
But if some strange enemy should dare
to profane your ground with his step,
think, oh beloved country, that heaven
has given you a soldier in every son.
Chorus
II
War, war without truce to any who dare
to tarnish the country's coat-of-arms! War, war!
Take the national pennants
and soak them in waves of blood.
War, war! In the mountain, in the valley,
the cannons thunder in horrid unison
and the resonant echoes
cry out union, liberty!
Chorus
III
Oh country, 'ere your children
defenseless bend their neck to the yoke,
may your fields be watered with blood,
may they trod upon blood.
And may your temples, palaces and towers
collapse with horrid clamor,
and their ruins live on to say:
This land belonged to a thousand heroes.
Chorus
IV
Oh, country, country, your children swear
to breathe their last in your honor,
if the trumpet with warlike accent
should call them to fight with courage.
For you the olive branches!
A reminder for them of glory!
A laurel of victory for you!
For them a tomb with honor!
Chorus
Mexicans, at the cry of war,
prepare the steel and the steed,
and may the earth shake at its core
to the resounding roar of the cannon.
|
Coro
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra
el acero aprestad y el bridón,
y retiemble en sus centros la tierra
al sonoro rugir del cañón.
I
Ciña ¡oh patria!, tus sienes de oliva
de la paz el arcángel divino,
que en el cielo tu eterno destino,
por el dedo de Dios se escribió.
Mas si osare un extraño enemigo,
profanar con su planta tu suelo,
piensa ¡oh patria querida! que el cielo
un soldado en cada hijo te dio.
Coro
II
¡Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente
de la patria manchar los blasones!
¡Guerra, guerra! Los patrios pendones
en las olas de sangre empapad.
¡Guerra, guerra! En el monte, en el valle
los cañones horrísonos truenen,
y los ecos sonoros resuenen
con las voces de ¡unión, libertad!
Coro
III
Antes, patria, que inermes tus hijos
bajo el yugo su cuello dobleguen,
tus campiñas con sangre se rieguen,
sobre sangre se estampe su pie.
Y tus templos, palacios y torres
se derrumben con hórrido estruendo,
y sus ruinas existan diciendo:
De mil héroes la patria aquí fue.
Coro
IV
¡Patria, patria! Tus hijos te juran
exhalar en tus aras su aliento,
si el clarín con su bélico acento
los convoca a lidiar con valor.
¡Para ti las guirnaldas de oliva!
¡Un recuerdo para ellos de gloria!
¡Un laurel para ti de victoria!
¡Un sepulcro para ellos de honor!
Coro
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra
el acero aprestad y el bridón,
y retiemble en sus centros la tierra
al sonoro rugir del cañón. |
|
&log=k_dey&newbgpath=old&newmuspath=new&src=&bigimagetype=old)
&log=k_dey&newbgpath=new&newmuspath=new&src=&bigimagetype=old)
