The state symbols of different states from time immemorial carries some meaning, reflects the culture of the country and is rooted in its history. The anthem, flag and coat of arms of Mexico are no exception, the description and meaning of which we will analyze in this article. The symbolism of this country at first glance may seem meaningless or at least incomprehensible, but it really reflects the cultural and historical development of the state, embodying the aspirations and principles, the way of life of the Mexican people.
Coat of arms
There is quite a lot of symbolism in the coat of arms of Mexico, the meaning of which is associated with one legend of the indigenous people of the country. It says that once the god Huitzilopochtli showed the Aztecs a sign according to which they would have to settle on the land where they would see a bird of prey sitting on a cactus, and in whose paws a snake would writhe. And so it happened. Now the capital of Mexico is located on the same spot.
Considering the coat of arms of Mexico, first of all, you should pay attention to the absence of a heraldic shield - a detail inherent in most coats of arms of the world. The bird depicted in the central part of the Mexican coat of arms is by no means an eagle, as many people think, but a crested caracara, which the inhabitants of the country call "korancho". In the beak and right paw of the corancho, a snake wriggles, which among the Aztecs symbolized some kind of mystical evil.
Today, the symbol of the snake no longer carries that religious or mystical connotation that its distant ancestors of the Mexicans endowed it with, it is rather interpreted as the victory of good over evil. But the coat of arms of Mexico contains a drawing of Lake Texcoco and an island in the middle of it, which are depicted in the traditional Aztec style. With the claws of a free paw, a crested caracara rests on a cactus that grows on the island of Texcoco. The oak branch, located at the bottom left, denotes the Republican system of Mexico, and the laurel branch on the right is a symbol of the glory and immortality of the Mexican warriors. Two branches are tied together with a ribbon with the colors of the national flag.
Flag
As for the Mexican banner, it is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 4:7. This state symbol was approved in 1968. The flag of Mexico has three vertical stripes that are the same width. The first stripe on the left is green and it signifies hope, independence and fertility of the earth; the white stripe in the middle represents the peace and spiritual purity of the inhabitants of Mexico; the red stripe on the right commemorates the blood shed for independence and is also a symbol of the unity and integrity of the Mexican people.
The peculiarity of the flag of Mexico is the coat of arms of the country, placed in the center of the panel on top of the white stripe. Mexico has such an interesting state symbolism. The flag and emblem of this state are unique for the reason that they are, as it were, inseparable, and each of these symbols refers to the other.
History of the flag
The Mexican banner has a rather unique history. Even in the battles for the independence of the country, individual rebel leaders used different standards, among which, for example, was the image of the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe. In 1815, the Supreme Congress approved three flags at once: parliamentary, military and commercial.
The prototype of today's Mexican flag was created only in 1821, but then there was no corancho bird on it, and instead a star was located in each of the three stripes. In addition, the banner had the inscription "Religion, Independence, Unity". The banner later featured the coat of arms of Mexico as we see it today.
Mexican anthem
The anthem of Mexico was created in the middle of the 19th century, but it was approved as a state symbol only after almost a century - in 1943. The hymn's music was composed by Jaime Nuna in 1853, and the lyrics were composed by Francisco-González Bocanegra the following year.
The Mexican anthem is one of the longest national anthems in the world, and it tells of the courageous Latin American people who are fighting for theirfreedom and defeat enemies. It uses a lot of floral metaphors, such as rose, olive, laurel or oak, in poetry denoting love, valor, glory, victory and the like. The anthem also sings the flag of the country, praises the ancestors, but its main idea is the theme of freedom and independence of the Mexican state. Perhaps the anthem carries no less symbolism than the coat of arms of Mexico.
Conclusion
Usually, the state symbols of a country can tell a lot about its history, as well as about the people who inhabit it, about their aspirations and hopes. Mexico is no exception - the flag and coat of arms of this country captured the history of many generations, they complement each other, and the anthem sings not only glorious ancestors, but also these symbols themselves.
