EL GRITO....THE CRY FOR INDEPENDENCE
NDEPENDENCE
DAY IN MEXICO
In
the early hours of September 16th, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a
priest in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato, rang the church bell
to gather the townspeople. He called for the people of Mexico to rise
up against the Spanish Crown, thus initiating Mexico's War of
Independence. The country did not achieve independence until 1821,
but it is this event, known as the Grito
de Dolores which
is commemorated every year in town squares across Mexico.
On
the 15th, at 11 pm the President of the Republic goes out onto the
central balcony of the National
Palace (Palacio
Nacional),
rings the bell (the same bell Hidalgo rang in 1810, brought to Mexico
City in 1886) and cries to the people gathered in the square below,
who enthusiastically respond "¡Viva!"
At
the end of the third ¡Viva Mexico! the crowd goes wild waving flags,
ringing noisemakers and spraying foam. Then fireworks light up the
sky as the crowd cheers. Later
the Mexican
national anthem is
sung.
The
celebrations continue on the 16th with civic ceremonies and parades -
the largest taking place in Mexico City, but perhaps the most
touching festivities are those in small communities in which school
children of all ages participate.
Like
most festivities, certain foods are considered representative of
Independence Day. A favorite is pozole,
a soup made of hominy and pork. Other foods have the colors of the
Mexican flag - red white and green, like chiles
en nogada.
And of course, it just wouldn't be a party without plenty of mezcal
and tequila!