CONTRARY to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not the equivalent of United States’ Fourth of July.
The former commemorates the triumph of the Mexican people over French invaders, leaving some to mistakenly consider that the feat in itself is what makes Cinco de Mayo Mexico’s Day of Independence.
But the story behind Mexico’s Día de la Independencia every Sept. 16 runs through the same nerve and shows aptly why it is the Central American country’s special day highlighted with revelry in every corner of the nation.
Mexican Independence Day is a major Mexican celebration held every year and it goes back to the year 1810. Celebrations begin on the eve of Mexican Independence Day, or the “day of the Cry of Dolores (El Grito de Dolores).”
The Mexicans then proceed to the jubilations with rousing merry-making, fireworks, fiestas, music, dance and of course, food – lots of food.
When the 16th of September kicks in, Mexican colors of red, white and green decorate public places. Flags and flowers are seen in key areas in cities and towns in Mexico, while horns and whistles are blown and confetti is thrown to celebrate this festive occasion as shouts of “Viva la Independencia” or “Viva Mexico” reverberate amidst the crowd.
And the people have every right to scream those words with joy and conviction, as the freedom they’re savoring now took so much to acquire.
Father Miguel Hidalgo believed to have made the cry of independence (El Grito de la Independencia) in the town of Dolores, in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato. He was one of the people at the forefront during the War of Independence in Mexico.
Historians aren’t unified on what exactly Hidalgo said, but his speech, also known as the el Grito de Dolores (cry of Dolores), was made on Sept. 16, 1810 to motivate the Mexicans to revolt against the Spanish regime. Within hours, Hidalgo had an army: a large, unruly, poorly-armed resolute mob.
The men of Hidalgo fought against the Spanish soldiers in the fight for independence, but he was captured and executed on July 30, 1811, and Mexico’s independence was not declared until Sept. 28, 1821.
Now, more than two centuries later, Sept. 16 remains one of Mexico’s most important holidays, local mayors and politicians re-enact the famous Grito de Dolores, while thousands congregate in the Zócalo, or main square, on the night of the 15th to hear the President ring the same bell that Hidalgo did and recite the Grito de Dolores in Mexico City.