The Mexican Flag: A Symbol of National Pride and Rich History

The flag, along with the coat of arms and the national anthem, are the symbols that represent and unite us as the Mexican nation.

Instituto Nacional para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal | February 24, 2019

Mexican Flag waving in the wind, symbolizing national pride and unity. February 24th, Mexican Flag Day.

Mexican Flag Day was established on February 24, 1934. However, this national commemoration was not officially recognized until 1940, by decree of President Lázaro Cárdenas del Río.

In 1821, Agustín de Iturbide was inspired to provide guarantees to the Mexican people by declaring the Independence of Mexico, and it was then that our Flag was born.

In the declaration of the Plan of Iguala, Iturbide carried the Trigarante flag (green, white, and red), but in diagonal stripes. The colors of the flag guaranteed certain rights: white represented the Catholic religion; green represented the independence of Mexico from Spain, and red represented equality and the union of Mexicans with Spaniards and the castes.

At the end of Agustín de Iturbide’s Empire in 1823, the Constituent Congress officially established the National Flag, keeping the green, white, and red colors, but with some changes: the imperial crown was removed from the eagle, and the republican symbols of laurel and oak branches were added.

In the mid-nineteenth century, with the arrival of Benito Juárez to the presidency of the country, the meaning of its colors was changed as a consequence of the separation of the state from the church: Green: Hope; White: Unity; and Red: the blood of the national heroes.

And so, on February 24, 1984, the new Law on the Coat of Arms, Flag, and National Anthem came into force, which establishes:

ARTICLE 3.- The National Flag consists of a rectangle divided into three vertical stripes of identical measures, with the colors in the following order starting from the flagpole: green, white, and red. In the white stripe and in the center, it has the National Coat of Arms, with a diameter of three-quarters of the width of said stripe. The proportion between the width and length of the flag is four to seven. It may carry a ribbon or tie of the same colors at the foot of the spearhead. A model of the National Flag, authenticated by the three powers of the Union, will remain deposited in the General Archive of the Nation and another in the National Museum of History.

ARTICLE 10.- February 24 is solemnly established as Flag Day. On this day, special radio and television programs must be broadcast to disseminate the history and significance of the National Flag. On this date, the Authorities will hold civic days in commemoration, veneration, and exaltation of the National Flag.

ARTICLE 11.- In the buildings of the Authorities that allow it due to their characteristics, honors must be rendered to the National Flag on a mandatory basis on February 24, September 15 and 16, and November 20 of each year.

The Mexican Flag, in addition to being a national symbol and representing the spirit of unity, courage, and patriotism, is a unifying element; it is an authentic expression of our origins, as well as the desire to strengthen the sense of national identity as an independent and sovereign country.

On December 30, 1880, President Porfirio Díaz decreed that the eagle should be represented facing forward with outstretched wings, in the French style of that time.

During the Mexican Revolution, President Venustiano Carranza, continuing with the nationalist idea, and on September 20, 1916, established that the eagle should be represented in left profile, perched on a cactus that sprouts from a rock surrounded by water and adorned at the bottom with branches of oak and laurel.

Now that you know a little more about our National Flag, a symbol of the United Mexican States, we should feel proud of it.

Municipalities of Mexico, let us take advantage of this day so important for all Mexicans, in order to raise awareness and promote the dissemination, knowledge, and respect for our National Symbols, specifically our National Flag, since it summarizes our history of independence, freedom, sovereignty, democracy, peace, and unity.

We also share some interesting facts about the Mexican flag:

In July 2008, a survey by a Spanish portal “20minutos.es” announced that the Mexican Flag was chosen as the most beautiful flag in the world, with a vote of 901,627 points.

In 2011, the Mexican Flag broke the Guinness record for the tallest flagpole in America with a height of 120 meters.

Some people believe that the Mexican Flag is a reproduction of the flag of Italy, however, our national flag was designed before the Italian one. In addition to this, it has elements that make it very different: the meaning of the color of its stripes, its dimensions, and of course the coat of arms.

We invite you to follow us on our social networks.

Twitter: @INAFED_Mx Facebook: @inafednacional