Mexican coat of arms facts for kids
The flag of Mexico has a special symbol called a coat of arms. This symbol comes from an old Aztec story. It shows an eagle holding a snake in its mouth.
In the early 1300s, a group of people called the Mexica were traveling around. They were looking for a place to build their own city in what is now central Mexico. They found food by hunting and gathering. Sometimes, other cities hired them to fight as soldiers.
According to an old story, their god, Huitzilopochtli, told them something important. He said they should build their city where they saw an eagle eating a snake on a cactus. The story says they saw this eagle on a small, wet island. This island was in the middle of a shallow place called Texcoco lake.
The Mexica people were very clever. They created a special way of gardening called chinampas. These were like floating gardens. This helped them grow food and slowly dry out parts of the lake. In 1325, they finished building their city. They named it Tenochtitlan. This city became the main city of the powerful Aztec Empire. The empire ruled central Mexico until Spanish Conquistadores, led by Hernán Cortés, arrived.
After Mexico became free from Spain in 1810, it needed a new symbol. The new country, with its capital built on the old city of Tenochtitlan, chose the eagle and snake. This symbol helps remember Mexico's Aztec past. You can see this important symbol right in the middle of the Mexican flag.
Images for kids
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An old drawing from the Ramírez Codex. It shows the eagle eating a bird, which is a bit different from the usual story.
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The Coat of Arms on a Mexican passport.
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A picture from the Mendoza Codex showing the story of the city's founding.
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A stone carving from 1325 called the Teocalli of the Sacred War.
See also
In Spanish: Escudo Nacional de México para niños
