Concept in Definition ABC

In the Spanish language the word bando has two meanings. On the one hand, side understood as a group of people and, on the other, as a communiqué.

Side in social relations

If a person is part of a group, they are part of a side. This usually implies that there are other individuals who are part of another rival or competitor group. In everyday language there are many ways to use this term. So if someone is from my team, I can say that he is from my side. If someone decides to change groups for some reason it is said that he has changed sides (these types of statements usually have a derogatory sense, since they suppose to leave one group and go with another, something that can be interpreted as a betrayal).

In war terminology, opposing armies represent different sides. In its different nuances, this word expresses a common idea: the competence or confrontation between two human groups, whether in the military, political, social or sports fields. It is curious that the word band has, among other meanings, the same meaning as band, it is that is, a group of people with something in common (the word gang is synonymous with gang or group gangster).

An important document in municipal life

Municipalities are governed by mayors and when they have the need to communicate with citizens, they do so through a document, a side. In other times, the mayor's side was a document read by a town crier, who called the residents of a town with some kind of instrument for them to congregate in the town hall square and thus be able to read the content that the maximum authority Township.

The figure of the town crier dates back to civilization Roman, in which the Roman praecones existed. The role of the town criers had a double motivation: communicate directly with the neighbors and read them the content of the side because a sector of the population he couldn't read. On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that in times when there were no means of communication (radio, television or Internet) it was necessary to establish official mechanisms to communicate the resolutions or agreements of the city councils to the citizens.

The concept of side in its traditional sense has already disappeared. However, this term is still preserved, although adapted to another social reality (the parties are posted in the offices of the town hall or appear on the web pages of each municipality). Although the word bando has remained, the figure of the town crier has disappeared.

The traditional side presents the following Format: the name of the mayor, an introductory formula (for example, it is made known), the content of what is communicated and finally the date, the mayor's signature and the official seal of the town hall.