Feliz Fiesta de September 16 Mexico!

TIENES UN TIEMPO MARAVILLOSO MI AMIGO!!

 

Mexican Independence Day falls on September 16. It marks the day in 1810 when a Roman Catholic priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, also known as Father Hidalgo, rallied his townspeople to fight for Mexico’s independence from Spain. That declaration marked the turning point in what would eventually become Mexico’s freedom from Spanish rule.

Mexican Independence Day (known in Spanish as Día de la Independencia, Fiestas Patrias, or simply 16 de septiembre) begins on September 15 just before midnight. It’s marked by fireworks, musical performances, and raucous cheering.

Let’s dig deeper into the historical and cultural context of Mexican Independence Day, and find out what modern September 16 celebrations look like inside of Mexico and out.

Spain has a long history of colonization that differs from its current reputation as an easy-going western European nation. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec, Incan, and other Mesoamerican empires began around 1519, when Spanish galleons, commanded by Hernán Cortés, landed on the island of San Juan de Ulúa in search of wealth.

Less than two years after their arrival, the Spaniards took the city of Tenochtitlán from the Aztecs, which at the time was one of the most developed cities in the Western hemisphere.

Cortés used local alliances to gain the upper hand in the region and slaughter hundreds of Aztec nobles. This included the death of Tenochtitlán’s ruler, Moctezuma.

By 1574, Spain had enslaved most of the Aztec empire, and over 20 million more people would die from Old World diseases the Spanish brought to the New World.

Spanish rule over New Spain, the land that would become known as Mexico, removed power from local peoples. Spain took full economic control, from creating the currency to profiting from all natural resources. The Roman Catholic Church also took a firm hold in the region.

Nearly 300 years after Cortés’ conquest, Father Hidalgo had become one of Mexico’s leaders fighting for independence from colonial rule. It’s believed he made the cry for independence (known as el Grito de la Independencia, or el Grito de Dolores) in the town of Dolores, in the present-day state of Hidalgo.

The word “dolores” in Spanish means “sorrows,” so “the cry of dolores” can also be read as an expression of the deep pain of the Mexican people at the hands of Spain.

This call to action by Father Hidalgo and his fellow revolutionaries helped to mobilize the people of Mexico to rise up against the Spanish crown.

Hidalgo himself was executed just eleven days after launching the struggle, but his followers would persist. Juan Aldama, José María Morelos, and Ignacio Allende were among the revolutionaries who led the cause.

A decade later, in 1821, Mexico won its independence.

 

Feliz aniversario México querido! Un gran abrazo a todos los mexicanos de este grupo.