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El día de la Independencia de México Posted by on Sep 17, 2019 in Spanish Culture, Videos

El día 16 de septiembre se celebra el Día de la Independencia de México (On September 16, Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated). It’s a very festive time with lots going on. Hay desfiles, conciertos, fiestas y más (There are parades, concerts, parties, and more). I’ve been fortunate enough to celebrate Mexican Independence Day the past two years in Puerto Vallarta and I’m excited to share the experience with our readers!

Decorations for the holiday.

In the lead-up to the holiday, you’ll see los colores de la bandera mexicanaverde, blanco, y rojo (the colors of the Mexican flag – green, white, and red) all over town.

Parade for Charro Day.

Things really get going with El Día del Charro (Charro Day). “What is a charro?”, you may be asking yourself. A charro is a traditional Mexican horseman (or horsewoman these days). They take part in la charrería, which is actually the national sport of Mexico.

Los charros

An accurate way to describe la charrería is a more stylized and artistic form of the American rodeo. A big part of the sport is the clothing, as participants wear traditional suits and dresses. On this special day in Puerto Vallarta, they walk from Zona Romantica up El Malecón with several different marching bands. 

Chiles en nogada

Of course, there’s lots of eating and drinking going on during the holiday as well. Perhaps the most emblematic dish for Independence Day is chiles en nogada. It’s a stuffed poblano chili topped with a walnut-cream sauce and pomegranate seeds, thus giving it the colors of the Mexican flag! If you want to practice your Spanish reading and Mexican cooking at the same time, try following this recipe to make it yourself.

¡Viva México!

At night on September 15th, a large crowd gathers in the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) in towns and cities all over Mexico. In Puerto Vallarta, el alcalde (the mayor) reads “El Grito de Dolores” (The Cry of Dolores – the famous call for independence given by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1810. Everyone in the crowd joins in chanting “¡Viva México!” (Long live Mexico!).

Mariachi time!

After “El Grito,” there’s a huge fireworks display followed by some live mariachi music. The party goes late into the night with lots of singing and dancing. Of course, there are plenty of tacos and quite a bit of tequila as well. Good thing the next day is a national holiday, because this fiesta gets pretty wild!

To see just what the Día de la Independencia celebrations look like, check out this video highlight I put together. You’ll see the charro parade, El Grito, some mariachi, fireworks, and more:

Click here to check it out!

 

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About the Author: sasha

Sasha is an English teacher, writer, photographer, and videographer from the great state of Michigan. Upon graduating from Michigan State University, he moved to China and spent 5+ years living, working, studying, and traveling there. He also studied Indonesian Language & Culture in Bali for a year. He and his wife run the travel blog Grateful Gypsies, and they're currently trying the digital nomad lifestyle across Latin America.


Comments:

  1. Ashleigh Wingate:

    En Estados Unidos nosotros celebramos nustra dia de la independencia el cuatro de julio. No tienemos muchos tradiciones especificas para el cuatro de julio, pero es un dia muy importante. La gente celebra con fuegos artificiales por la noche y mucho comida estadounidense. Es un evento muy divertido para celebrar nuestro país.

  2. avery:

    Es muy interesante aprender sobre las tradiciones de Mexico. Tal vez algun dia puede ir a verlos en persona.

  3. Emma Hite:

    Hola! Me gusta el information en el poste. Es interesante y fácil de comprender, pero es bueno poder leer algo en español, luego comprenderlo en inglés.

  4. Patrick Sweeney:

    Nosotros tambien celebramos el Dia de Independencia de los Estados Unidos. Mientras ustedes comen comidas tradicional de Mexico, nosotros comemos hamburgesas. En Mexico tienes los colores de tu bandera: verde, blanco y rojo. Nosotros tenemos los colores de nuestra bandera que es roja, azulejo y Blanca.