Sep 15, 2019
El Salvador Independence Day 2019
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle features La Bandera de El Salvador, the flag that will fly throughout the Central American nation in celebration of Salvadoran Independence Day.
The flag’s blue horizontal stripes represent the two bodies of water—the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea—that surround Central America, while the white stripe represents peace. The coat of arms contains five volcanoes, standing for El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua—the five states that would become the República Federal de Centroamérica. The national motto (“Dios, Unión; Libertad” or “God, Union, and Liberty”) is inscribed on the coat of arms, along with “15 de Septiembre de 1821,” the date El Salvador joined four other Central America nations in declaring their independence after three centuries of Spanish rule.
In honor of this historic anniversary, a torch will be carried by student runners and local leaders from Guatemala City through El Salvador all the way to Costa Rica. Known as Antorcha de la Independencia, the 240-mile torch run recreates the journey of the messengers who rode on horseback to announce the independence of the five Central American countries nearly two centuries ago.
Located on the Pacific coast between Guatemala and Honduras, El Salvador is the smallest of all Central American countries, but they celebrate independence in a big way. Student bands practice for months, preparing to march in local parades, with the biggest parade taking place in the capital city of San Salvador. Families gather for a traditional meal that’s likely to feature pupusas, the national dish. The festivities then culminate with a grand fireworks display.
¡Feliz Día de Independencia!
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