Mexican Independence Day, also known as El Grito de Independencia, is a vibrant and culturally significant celebration that marks the country’s break from Spanish rule. Held annually on the night of September 15 and the day of September 16, it’s when Mexico comes alive with plazas full of families, parades, fireworks, and time-honored rituals. In preparation for Mexico’s biggest holiday, here are the most useful Mexican Independence Day facts about the history, the celebrations, and the traditions that make it special.
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Things to Know About Mexican Independence Day
When is Mexican Independence Day?
Celebrations begin the night of September 15 with El Grito and continue into September 16, which is the official national holiday. Outside Mexico, it’s often confused with Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates Mexico’s 1862 victory at the Battle of Puebla—not the country’s independence. Independence Day is September 16 (with the Grito the night before) and is marked by parades, concerts, street fairs, and late-night family gatherings.
El Grito: The Cry of Independence
In the early hours of September 16, 1810, parish priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bell in Dolores (today Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato) and called residents to rise against Spanish rule. This proclamation, known as the Grito de Dolores, began the War of Independence (1810–1821).
Each year on the night of September 15, the event is formally reenacted nationwide. The President of Mexico steps onto the National Palace balcony overlooking the Zócalo, rings a historic bell, names Independence heroes (Hidalgo, Allende, Morelos, Josefa Ortiz, among others), and leads three final “¡Viva México!” shouts, followed by the national anthem and fireworks.
Governors and mayors conduct the same civic ceremony in state capitals and municipal plazas. The original Grito occurred early on September 16; the evening observance on the 15th is a later tradition that sets up the official holiday on the 16th.
Mexican Independence Day Traditions
Expect bustling town-square ceremonies, live music, folk dancing, and plenty of tricolor pride. On September 16, cities and towns host parades featuring school bands, charros, community groups, and in Mexico City, a major civic-military parade. Local mayors perform their own Grito from municipal balconies, ringing a bell and leading the crowd in a series of “¡Viva!” shouts.
Plan to see the Mexican flag everywhere, on balconies, in plazas, and woven into dress and even traditional dishes. The season’s most iconic dish is chiles en nogada: roasted poblano peppers topped with creamy walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds, showing the green, white, and red of the flag.
Chiles en Nogada: The Independence Dish
Born in Puebla, this late-August/September specialty is Independence Month on a plate: a roasted poblano stuffed with savory-sweet picadillo, cloaked in creamy walnut (nogada) sauce, and topped with pomegranate and parsley—the flag’s green, white, and red. Tradition dates the dish back to 1821, created by nuns to honor Agustín de Iturbide and the Army of the Three Guarantees. It’s mild and usually served at room temperature. In Puebla, chiles en nogada are generally prepared capeado (battered), elsewhere sin capear. It’s a uniquely Mexican dish that must try at least once.
Learn more about Chiles en Nogada
Fireworks and Nightlife
It wouldn’t be Independence Day without fireworks. Cities large and small light up the sky after the Grito. Many communities also host verbenas (street fairs) with games, artisan stalls, and late-night concerts. It’s family-friendly and festive.
Mexican Independence Day isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s living history. The El Grito ceremony links today’s Mexico to 1810, while the parades and food bring people together in a shared celebration of identity and resilience. Whether you’re shoulder-to-shoulder in the plaza at midnight, savoring chiles en nogada, or watching the morning parades, embrace this uniquely Mexican holiday and let that “¡Viva México!” ring out.
