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On September 16, 1810, independence from Spain was declared by Miguel Hidalgo in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato state. This was the catalyst for a long war that eventually led to recognized independence in 1821 and the creation of an ephemeral First Mexican Empire. In 1836 Texas declared independence from Mexico and the annexation of Texas by the United States created a border dispute that would cause the Mexican-American War. In the 1860s the country again underwent a military occupation, this time by France This Second Mexican Empire was victorious for only a few years, when the previous president of the Republic, the Zapotec Indian Benito Juárez.
This flag was created in 1821, when the Independence movement had ended victoriously. The Mexican flag is full of national symbolism; green representing the Independence Movement; white representing the purity of the Catholic faith; red stripe representing the Spaniards that joined in the quest for Independence and the blood of the national heroes. The emblem-shield symbolizes the Aztec heritage. According to legend, the gods had advised the Aztecs that the place where they should establish their city was to be identified when they saw an eagle, perched on a prickly pear tree, devouring a serpent. They saw this mythical eagle on a marshy lake that is now the main plaza in Mexico City.
FIESTAS PATRIAS – PATRIOT DAYS
The Fiestas Patrias in Mexico originated in the 19th century. Outside of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo, or “the 5th of May” is sometimes mistaken for “Mexican Independence.” While the holiday does mark patriotic remembrance, it is nationally known as the Battle of Puebla – celebrating the 1862 defeat of the French.
Fiestas Patrias – or Patriot Day Celebrations – commemorate specific moments in Modern Mexico’s History:
• Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day)
Commemorates the Constitution of 1917, promulgated after the Mexican Civil War on February 5.
• Natalicio de Benito Juárez (Birth of Benito Juárez)
Commemorates President Benito Juárez's birthday on March 21, 1806. Juárez is popularity regarded as an exemplary politician due to his liberal policies that defined the traditionally strict separation of the church and the Mexican state
• Día del Trabajo (Labor Day)
Commemorates the Mexican workers' union movements on May 1 - specifically, the 1906 Cananea, Sonora, and the 1907 Río Blanco, Veracruz, labor unrest and repression. Commemorates the Haymarket Riot of 1886.
• Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May)
Commemorates General Ignacio Zaragoza's victory on May 5, 1862, over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the legendary Battle of Puebla, Mexico on May 5, 1862 in which a Mexican force of 4,500 men faced 6,000 men of the ominous and well trained forces of Napoleon III's French Army. The battle, which lasted all of four hours ended in a moral and physical victory for the Mexican Army under the 33 year old General Ignacio Zaragoza.
• Día de la Independencia (Independence Day)
Commemorates Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla's Grito de Dolores (“Shout of Dolores”). On the eve of September 16, 1810, in the village of Dolores, near Guanajuato. Hidalgo called for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico with a display that marked the start of the independence war against Spain.
• Día de la Revolución
Commemorates the Mexican Revolution which started on November 20, 1910 when Francisco I. Madero planned an uprising against dictator Porfirio Díaz's 34-year long iron rule.
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