What is celebrated in Mexico on September 16?
”Love of country," said Cicero, "is not a preoccupation of men, but an impression of nature. There is no nation, whether of the cultured and civilized, or of the barbarous and uncouth barbarous, that does not feel this impression. Traverse the whole space of the times that have passed since the creation of the world until now; record one by one the nations that have populated the universe and you will find in all of them a love for the freedom of their homeland” .- Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, november 1810 Guadalajara.
In the early morning of September 16, 1810, the "Cry of Independence", attributed to the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, took place in the town of Dolores, located in the municipality of Guanajuato, nowadays Dolores Hidalgo, Gto.
The priest Hidalgo adopted pro-independence ideals that since 1808 spread throughout the territory of New Spain, he participated in conspiracies, secret meetings disguised as literary gatherings, held in the house of the Corregidor of Querétaro, Miguel Domínguez and his wife Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, which brought together notable people, including lawyers, merchants and military men.
The members of this conspiracy had agreed to take up arms in December 1810; but they were denounced to the viceregal authorities, so some were taken prisoner, and thanks to the notice sent by the Corregidora to Allende, the date of the beginning of the Independence movement was brought forward.
With this emblematic call to arms, in the early morning of September 16, the father of the nation rang the church bell to summon the people and when the crowd gathered in the atrium of the parish church, he gave the historic harangue and shouted "Long live America! and "Away with bad government", which began the movement for the Independence of Mexico.
Mexico's Independence Day has become the biggest national celebration since it was first celebrated more than 200 years ago. On this day, locals and visitors enjoy fireworks displays and, during the day, different parts of the country are filled with patriotic speeches, waving flags, music and, of course, big feasts. The green, white and red (the colors of the Mexican flag) floods everything on Independence Day, even in U.S. cities where the Mexican population resides.
Mexican gastronomy is one of the richest and best known in the world, so if you visit Mexico during Independence Day you should not forget to try almost every dish and drink you come across. During Mexico's Independence Day celebration, you'll come across with food stands where you can taste the traditional pozole -a broth made of corn kernels, chili and chicken or pork meat-, but also tostadas, enchiladas or "pancita". And of course, as in any self-respecting Mexican celebration, you can't miss a good tequila, beer or, for those looking for a bit of spice, a michelada. And let's toast to Mexico's independence!.