¡Viva la Independencia!

Mexico City is gearing up for this month’s Independence Day celebrations.

It’s El Mes de la Patria in Mexico; September is the month that Mexico celebrates its Independence. Independence Day in Mexico is a nationally recognized holiday that’s observed each year on September 16th. Last year was especially significant as Mexico celebrated its Bicentennial — 200 years of Independence from Spanish rule.

Each year on the eve of September 16th the president of Mexico stands on the balcony of the Palacio Nacional overlooking the Mexico City zócalo, rings the bell — the same bell originally rung by Miguel Hidalgo in 1810 — and delivers El Grito de Independencia, or the Cry of Independence. El Grito de la Independencia, often referred to simply as El Grito, is a cry of patriotism that is based upon the original Grito de Dolores which marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810. El Grito mentions the names of heroes of the Mexican War, ends with shouts of ¡Viva Mexico! and is followed by the singing of the Himno Nacional Mexicano (Mexican national anthem).

There’s no doubt that it’s an exciting time to be in the capital. The Independence Day celebrations are just a day away and preparations are in full swing. Decorations are up in the zócalo and buildings all across the city are adorned with flags and banners. Vendors with carts like the one pictured here can be seen on street corners throughout the Centro Histórico selling Mexican flags, sombreros, fake trumpets, noisemakers, lucha libre masks and a whole host of other souvenirs and trinkets in festive red, white and green.

It’s also a great time to eat out in Mexico City. Restaurants and fondas are serving traditional dishes such as mole poblano and chiles en nogada. ¡Que Rico!

This year will be my first celebrating Independence Day in Mexico, and while some people are on their way out of Mexico City hoping to avoid the crowds and traffic, I’m looking forward to being right in the middle of all the action. Tonight, September 15th, we’re headed out to the Mexico City zócalo to get a close up view of current Mexican President Felipe Calderón as he delivers El Grito, and tomorrow morning we’ll be up bright and early to catch the national military parade as it makes its way from the zócalo, through the Centro Histórico and along the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s main thoroughfare.

If you’re going to be on Twitter tomorrow don’t miss the México Today Twitter Fiesta ‘Celebrating Mexican Independence Day’ which is scheduled to take place at 10am PST (1pm EST). Follow the #MexicoToday hashtag and your hosts @spanglishbaby, @mamalatina, @mexicopremier and @themexicoreport. ¡Viva México!

México Today, in association with Marca País – Imagen de México, is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my role as a contributing writer for México Today; my opinions, as always, are my own.

Tagged as: culture, history, holidays