Memory and National Identity: Historical Dates as Symbols of Unity

In this context, it should be noted that the Catalans turned the date of September 11, 1714, into a grand occasion, when the autonomist resistance to the Bourbon army fell in defense of Catalan particularism and its traditional fueros; thus, memory transforms the historical confirmation of its different essence into a celebration. Another people that draws strength from the memory of a heroic defeat is the Serbian people, who, in the Battle of Kosovo, which took place in 1389, commemorate their resistance to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into the Balkan lands and their assertion of an identity worthy of defense. With this introduction, I hope to establish that among the national celebrations that should be taken as references for our nationality, there are dates that, without being victories, are affirmations of our desire for a nation without ties or dependencies. 1- I begin with November 10, which expresses the nesting of the idea of Latin American and Bolivarian fraternity in our territory. 2- We continue with December 12, which marks the maturation of a patriotic idea that does not admit more predation of our territory. 3- We continue with December 20, which reminds us of the permanent threat to our national identity, which obliges us to vigilance. 4- January 9 marks the maturation of our national identity consciousness and territorial unity. (Photo from the MEDUCA portal). By Juan Carlos Mas C. Peoples usually choose to commemorate certain days of the year in which the aspiration of a nation to its specific identification in the book of universal history as a singular people aspires to universal recognition. National dates are not always 'festivals' when what is commemorated is a mournful event marked by heroic sacrifice to express difference. Traditional costumes exhibited in a parade.