Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Mexico is gearing up for its most spirited celebration as Monday, September 16th, marks the 214th anniversary of Independence Day. Festivities kick off at 11 pm on Sunday with El Grito, the powerful cry of “¡Viva México!” that echoes across the nation.
This iconic ritual honors the moment in 1810 when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, known as the father of Mexico, ignited the movement that led to Mexico’s independence. It all began just before midnight on September 15th, in the small town of Dolores near Guanajuato, where Hidalgo, a parish priest, made a bold decision that changed history.
Instead of fleeing when he learned that plans for a political revolution had been discovered, Hidalgo chose to take a stand. He ordered the church bells to ring and called upon the people of Dolores – many of them native Mexicans and mestizos – to rise against Spanish rule and reclaim their ancestral lands. His impassioned cry, now famously known as El Grito de Dolores, rallied the masses with the words: ¡Viva México! (“Long Live Mexico!”).
At the time, Mexico was under the control of a rigid class system dominated by the Gachupines (Spanish-born elites) and Criollos (Mexican-born Spaniards). Hidalgo and other Criollos had hoped to use Spain’s turmoil, brought on by Napoleon’s conquest, as an opportunity to overthrow the Gachupines and gain power. Originally planning their revolt for December 1810, the discovery of their plot forced Hidalgo into swift action.
On September 16, 1810, he inspired his parishioners to join him in the fight for freedom from Spanish colonial rule, sparking the Mexican War of Independence. Just days later, the Battle of Guanajuato marked the first significant clash of the uprising. After ten years of struggle, Mexico’s independence was finally recognized in August 1821 with the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba, and on September 28, an independent Mexico was officially declared.
Today, El Grito not only commemorates the bravery of those who fought for independence but also serves as a reminder of Mexico’s enduring spirit and resilience.