the eagle in profile standing on a nopal cactus and holding a rattlesnake in its beak: the image appears bordered by a semicircle of laurel and oak leaves. In 1973, the then president Luis Echeverría ordered a new design, the current one, in which the most slender and upright bird can be seen, with the bristling plume and the wings closer together and the nopal cactus extending horizontally. It was in 1934 that, through a decree, the day of the flag began to be commemorated every February 24, but it was not until 1984 that the characteristics of the nation's emblems were recognized and ratified. In this way, the strengthening of the cult and respect for the national patriotic symbols began. Bibliography La Colonia. Cossío Villegas, Daniel (coord.). Historia General de México. T. I. México: El Colegio de México. pp. 438-450. References History of Mexico by topic Flags of Mexico History of flags