Mexican Independence Day brings country, family, friends, food, and fun together. See how you can celebrate even if apart form family.
Whether you plan to celebrate Mexican Independence Day in Mexico or in the United States, September 16 is bound to be a day filled with food, music, tradition, and possibly dancing and parades. The holiday authenticates the moment a Catholic priest, named Miguel Hildalgo y Costilla, in the town of Dolores, ignited the country’s crusade to independence with a simple ringing of a bell and a speech after 300 years of harsh Spanish rule.
Today, Mexicans everywhere gather annually with family and friends to honor this date. A country-wide holiday, the Independence Day celebration for many includes starting the day by wearing the Mexican flag colors of red, white, and green. It often ends with people watching fireworks swooping through the night skies. This holiday is honored throughout Mexico and in certain U.S. areas, at homes, in restaurants, and in city streets.
Help give your friends’ and families’ Independence Day celebration an extra bang! Join them in person and share the good times. Or if travel isn’t possible, why not send money through Western Union’s app so everyone knows you’re thinking of them. You can help them have a family fiesta they’ll remember for years to come. Western Union’s fast and reliable money transfer app makes it an easy way to be there in spirit when you can’t be there in person.
Coming from the Balcony of the National Palace to You
Another way to join in your family’s celebration is to watch or listen to the reenactment of Hildago’s speech with them. Each year, the president of Mexico rings Hidalgo’s original 200-year-old bell and recites his Grito De Dolores (the Cry of Dolores) speech from a balcony of the National Palace overlooking the zocalo where thousands gather. The event, broadcast to millions via Mexican TV and radio on the evening of September 15, kicks off the independence holiday.
U.S. Cities Honor the Holiday, Too
Mexicans in U.S. cities like New York, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Denver traditionally celebrate Mexican Independence Day with events and in restaurants. The Mexican flag colors of red, white, and green can be seen in food, flowers, and clothing in the U.S. too. At community events, you’ll have the chance to join shouts of “Viva la independencia nacional!” and “Viva Mexico!” as the sounds of horns, whistles, and music fill the air around you. Check local city listings for events surrounding the date of September 16.
Whether you celebrate Mexican Independence Day in a restaurant or at home, remember to “eat the colors of the Mexican flag”—a meal prepared with red, white, and green ingredients such as tomatoes, beans, and avocado. September 16 is now officially National Guacamole Day in the U.S., so you know that’s one way you can “eat your green.” Be sure to serve a favorite Mexican beer or look up a traditional “ponche” (fruit punch) recipe. In the U.S. or Mexico, home or at a parade or restaurant, enjoy the holiday by being with friends and family in person or in spirit. “Viva Mexico!”
