What do the colors and symbols on the Mexican flag stand for?

Answer 1

At the end of the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), the Army of the Three Guarantees (Ejercito Trigarante or Ejercito de las Tres Garantias) was the name given to the army after the unification of the Spanish troops led by Agustin de Iturbide and the Mexican insurgent troops of Vicente Guerrero, consolidating Mexico's independence from Spain.

At first, the meaning colors of the Army of the Three Guarantees was:

• Green: was a sign of independence from Spain.
• White: Religion, faith or belief, the Roman Catholic faith.
• Red: Union among Americans and Europeans

However the meaning of these colors have varied considerably with the passage of time. The last accepted, modern definitions are:

• Green: Hope in the future.
• White: Unity among the Mexican people.
• Red: The blood of the Mexican heroes.

As for the Mexican coat of arms:

Before 1325 AD, the Aztec or Mexica (as they knew themselves) people were a nomadic tribe that wandered throughout the land, looking for a place to settle and build their capital. Their state religion awaited the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy: that the wandering tribe would find the destined site for a great city whose location would be signaled by an eagle eating a snake while perched atop a cactus.

The Aztecs saw this vision on what was then a small swampy island in the middle of lake Texcoco, after which they founded their capital city, on March 13, 1325. Not deterred by the unfavorable terrain, they set about building their city, using the chinampa system (misnamed as "floating gardens") for agriculture and to dry and expand the island. That city was Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City.

The prophesy and subsequent vision is now immortalized in Mexico's coat of arms and on the Mexican flag.