Mexico Independence Day
September 16 · Level 10 · #7 of 2238
Mexico’s Independence Day commemorates the uprising against Spanish rule that began in 1810. Its defining moment is the Grito de Dolores, the call to rebellion associated with priest Miguel Hidalgo: the holiday marks the beginning of the struggle.
How it is celebrated: on the preceding evening, the president and local leaders lead ceremonial cries of the Grito, with crowds answering cheers for Mexico. Music, fireworks, parades and shared meals fill the celebrations, surrounded by the national colours.
Independence came eleven years after the uprising began. Cinco de Mayo, sometimes mistaken for this holiday, commemorates a separate event: the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla.