Mexican Independence Day is NOT Cinco de Mayo

September is mes patria, or "patriotic month," in Mexico.  Mexican Independence Day on September 16 commemorates the day in 1810 when priest Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bell in his town of Dolores, calling the people to revolt against the 300-year-old Spanish rule.  Although he and his untrained followers fought hard, the initial revolt failed.  So did the next one, led by Father Jose Maria Morelos.  Spain finally was defeated 11 years later, and the Mexican people achieved their liberty. 

The first bell ringing by Father Hidalgo, known as the Grito de Dolores, is recreated each year in town squares across Mexico.  Most celebrations begin with the ringing of the bell at 11 pm on September 15.  The gathered townspeople respond with cries of “Viva Mexico!”  The next day is for civic ceremonies, parades and family festivities, much like the Fourth of July celebrations in the United States.

Although Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is raucously celebrated in the United States, the day is a lesser holiday in Mexico, commemorating a victory over the French army in 1862.