El Grito

If you look on your calendar today, it just might say Mexican Independance Day. That's right. September 16th. Not the 5th of May as many believe. But the official events started September 15 as cities and towns all over Mexico began their festivities with a reenactment of the Grito de Dolores, a shout for Mexican Independance issued almost 200 years ago by a Catholic Priest named Miguel Hidalgo. Legend has it that Hidalgo had fellow independence minded leaders Juan Aldama and Ignacio Allende at his side when, late at night on the 15th, he addressed the people of Mexico from the small town of Dolores, urging them to revolt and fight for independence. I have been fortunate enough to have visited the site of Hidalgo's grito. I was also in Oaxaca City for Independence Day a few years back and got to see the governor of the state reenact the grito from the balcony of the state building. Here are just a few pictures from Mexico. The first three are from the Zocalo in Oaxaca City. The final picture is from Mexico City.