National symbols and customs in the Philippines

A long time ago, the Philippines was famous for its place names such as Luzon, Mayi, Sulu and Hulu. 152 1 year, when the Portuguese navigator Magellan set foot on the islands under the command of Spanish colonists, it happened to be a Catholic religious festival, so he gave the islands a religious name-San Laharl Islands. Later, because Magellan intervened in the civil strife on the island and was killed by the locals, the name was forgotten.

1542, Spanish navigator Lopez came to the islands after Magellan. In order to show off the "achievements" of the Spanish Empire in Asia, these islands were named Philippine Islands after Crown Prince Philip of Spain.

1898 In June, the Philippine people declared their independence under the rule of Spanish colonists and changed their country name to the Philippines. 1946 In July, the Philippines got rid of American colonial rule and declared its independence. The name of the country is still "Republic of the Philippines".

national emblem

The national emblem of the Philippines is shield-shaped, and there is a streamer under the shield, which reads "Philippines and the country". The design of the shield-shaped national emblem represents three historical periods of the Philippines, namely, the Spanish colonial period, the American colonial period and the Republic of the Philippines period.

The upper middle part of the national emblem represents the period of the Republic of the Philippines, with a white background and three golden five-pointed stars above, representing the three regions of the Philippine Islands-Luzon Island, Visayas Island and Mindanao Island. In the middle are eight golden suns, representing the sun shining all over the country. The lower left of the national emblem represents the period of American colonial rule. At the bottom of the blue, there is a golden American vulture looking to the left, holding an olive branch in its left paw to show peace. The right paw holds three spears, indicating that it is ready to fight and defend peace.

The lower right of the national emblem represents the period of Spanish colonial rule, and there is a golden lion painted on the red background, which is based on the lion competition pattern on the national flag of the Kingdom of Spain at that time.

national flag

The Philippine flag was formulated in the struggle against Spanish colonial rule and for freedom and independence. The upper part is blue, the lower part is red, and the left side is a white equilateral triangle. There is a yellow sun in the center of the triangle, surrounded by eight long rays and some short rays; There is a yellow five-pointed star at each corner of the triangle.

Blue represents peace, truth and justice; Red represents patriotism and courage; The white equilateral triangle represents equality. The sun in the triangle represents freedom, which means that the sun shines all over the country. Eight rays represent 1986, the first eight provinces to take up arms against Spanish rule, and the rest represent other provinces. These three stars symbolize three regions of the Philippine Islands-Luzon Island, Visayas Island and Mindanao Island.

national anthem

The national anthem of the Philippines is the Philippine national anthem. Why did the lyricist Sepalma? 1898 After the American invaders invaded Manila, the Filipino people, under the leadership of the anti-Japanese leader A Mabini and General An luna, continued their heroic war of resistance.

At that time, Jose Palma was a reporter for the Independent newspaper founded by General Luna, and personally experienced the fierce anti-American war between China and Luzon. 1899, he wrote lyrics in Spanish with the tune of "March of the Maddalo Philippines" written by Julien Felipe, a former Philippine pianist and composer, in June 1898, and became the national anthem of the Philippines. The lyrics of the Philippine national anthem written by him are full of passion for resisting aggression, yearning for freedom and loving the motherland.

national costume

The national costume of Filipino men is called "Balong Tagalog" shirt. This is a silk tight-fitting shirt, which is hip-length. The neckline can be tied like a shirt, and the long-sleeved cuffs are like a suit top. From the front neckline to both sides of the lower lapel, there are hollows with different patterns, which are quite generous.

It is said that during the Spanish rule, in order to distinguish Spaniards from Filipinos from a distance, the colonists ordered all Filipinos to wear shirts outside and not to tie them under their pants. Later, Filipinos began to embroider various patterns on shirts to show their pride. In the early 1950s, this kind of costume was officially promoted to the national costume of Filipino men, and became a formal dress for diplomatic occasions, celebrations and banquets.

The national costume of Filipino women is called "Terno". This is a round neck and short sleeve dress. It is also called "butterfly suit" because its sleeves are straight and the sides are slightly higher than the shoulders, just like a butterfly spreading its wings. This kind of clothing combines the characteristics of women's clothing in many western European countries, especially in Spain. After three or four hundred years of evolution, it has become the national clothing of Filipino women.

national flower

The national flower of the Philippines is a kind of jasmine called Sambajita. This is a shrub plant, generally more than one meter high, with white color and rich fragrance. There are two kinds of single petals and double petals. It is said that when an ancient Filipino man proposed to his beloved girl, he usually presented a jasmine ring. If a girl hangs a wreath around her neck, it means that she has accepted his love. Then, in the moonlight, they swore in Tagalog: "Sambajita" (I promise to love you forever). Therefore, jasmine is also known as "swearing to love flowers" in the Philippines.

"Sambajita" symbolizes loyalty and love for the motherland. Young Filipinos often use it as a gift for their lovers to express their "true love" to each other. Every year in May, when the flowers are in full bloom, the girls will wear jasmine rings, sing hymns and bless each other. In international communication, Filipinos often present jasmine rings to foreign guests to show their pure friendship.

wushu

The national tree of the Philippines is Nala, a kind of rosewood. This kind of tree is tall and straight, evergreen all the year round, with golden flowers facing the sun. Wood is hard and meticulous, and it is a good material for making high-grade furniture and musical instruments. When the bark of Nala tree is injured, it will ooze scarlet liquid. Filipinos say that this symbolizes the blood flowing in their own national veins and is ready to be sprinkled on the land of the motherland to defend independence. This tree can be used as dye and medicine raw material. The Philippine people chose Nala tree as the national tree, symbolizing the noble quality of their nation's perseverance and dedication.

Guoguo

Mango, a world-famous fruit, is the national fruit of the Philippines. It is oval, sweet and slightly sour, and tastes a bit like a peach. It's yellow when it's ripe, and it smells strange. Mango is the favorite tropical fruit of the Filipino people.