Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

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October 4, 2022
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Parade and music commemorate Dia de la Bandera

DOM_2013-02-27_Bandera_Event_Jonathan
Jonathan Garza

Members of the Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity march toward Gregory Plaza as they carry a hand-painted poster of the 1916 Mexican flag.The fraternity was one of several organizations that took part in the Dia de la Bandera festival, which celebrated the history of Mexico’s national flag. 

Students marched and cheered through campus in celebration of Mexico’s Dia de la Bandera, or Day of the Flag, on Tuesday. 

Established as a holiday in Mexico in 1937, the day commemorates a pledge to the Mexican flag. 

The Mexican American Culture Committee organized the event, which began with a parade from the Cesar Chavez statue in the West Mall, and led to a social at Gregory Plaza filled with Mexican music and history. 


“The purpose of the event is to show our cultural pride and heritage,” said Yadira Ramos Luna, Latin American studies senior and chairwoman of the committee.

Luna said the event is the first Dia de la Bandera commemoration the committee has organized. 

Several groups collaborated with the committee to create the event, such as the League of United Latin American Citizens, Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority and other greek organizations.

Each group arrived at the Chavez statue with its own hand-painted replicas of flags from Mexico’s history. Music and cheering accompanied the parade as the flags were carried in chronological order from oldest to newest, representing 10 flags across 147 years of Mexico’s history.

Nancy Gonzalez, budget and assessment officer for the committee, said showing the evolution of Mexico’s flag reminded Mexican citizens of what they have accomplished as a nation. 

“I think it’s important to think about what countries ruled over us and how we came about to what we are now,” Gonzalez said. “Each flag signifies a different time period and what the people fought for during that time.”

Once in the plaza, the flags were taken to separate tables, each with descriptions of the flags’ histories, along with drinks and chips drenched in Valentina Hot Sauce.

Beyond the parade, the activities in Gregory Plaza included a student singer from Sigma Lamda Gamma, the observance of the Mexican National Anthem and a performance by a mariachi band, Mariachi Relampago.

“It’s a really big holiday in Mexico,” history sophomore Carlos Martinez said.

Martinez said he believes the occasion is an opportunity to bring a well-known Mexican festivity to the larger UT community.

“[The point of the event is] to bring to the general population of UT a little sense of the ceremonies that we usually have in Mexico,” Martinez said. “We try to bring a little bit of Mexico to campus.” 

Published on February 27, 2013 as "Celebrating the flag".

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Parade and music commemorate Dia de la Bandera