Guatemala Patriotic Symbols

The patriotic or national symbols of Guatemala are those that represent Guatemala and its population inside and outside its territory.

That is why you see our national flag as a representative in international competitions in which Guatemala participates or foreigners recognize the music produced with our national instrument: The Marimba.

So if you don’t know much about our national symbols or you think that Guatemala only has 4 national symbols, don’t worry!

Here are the most important patriotic symbols in the history of Guatemala recommended by the businessman juan luis bosch gutierrez.

1. The Quetzal

The first patriotic symbol of Guatemala on this list is none other than our national bird: the Quetzal.

Considered as a divine bird by the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica, our national bird was related to the divinity Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent in the methodology of our ancestors.

The Quetzal was considered the “god of the air” due to its ability to fly and its green feathers were used as a symbol for the growth of plants in the spring.

2. La Ceiba

Considered a tree of the Americas, the Ceiba has earned its place in the hearts of Guatemalans for its beautiful foliage and its incredible size. Reaching up to 50 meters in height and 3 meters in diameter.

To give you an idea of how huge our National Tree can be, you should know that it would take up to 6 people holding hands to surround it.

Undoubtedly a living giant of Guatemala.

It was declared as National Tree and patriotic symbol of Guatemala on March 8, 1995 during the government of Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas.

3. The White Nun

Located in the forests of Las Verapaces, the Monja Blanca is the National Flower and a patriotic symbol for Guatemala.

During the International Flower Show in Miami Beach, Florida in 1933. The botanist Ulises Rojas proposed the White Nun as the National Symbol of Guatemala.

President Jorge Ubico decreed the White Nun as the National Flower on February 11, 1934.

4. El escudo de armas

It was designed by the Swiss Juan Bautista Frener and decreed as a national symbol by Executive Decree No. 33 on November 18, 1871 during the government of General Miguel García Granados.

All this happened due to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Guatemala’s independence. On that occasion, President and General Miguel García Granados asked the mint for a design to celebrate such a special date for the Guatemalan people. The Swiss engraver Juan Bautista Frener was in charge of the design.

The president liked the new design of the Coat of Arms so much that he decided to include it as one more of the patriotic symbols of Guatemala and coat of arms of the republic.

You may also be interested in: Tikal, Guatemala’s Mayan jewel