Things you should know before traveling to Mexico in September

September in Mexico
If you have ever seen any photo or post referring to Mexico and its culture, sure is that some of the most common things you have seen associated with this country are Tequila and large hats made of wheat straw. But what you don't read in those blogs, is that such hats are not used daily rather on a particular date when you can find them in all the cities of Mexico, the date is the night of September 15th, when the Mexican Independence Day is celebrated.

If your travel plans include Mexico in September, keep reading as I will help you prepare with the elements that you should know and try during your trip to have the full experience of this holiday. Get ready, buckle up, and let's take a cultural ride.

Independence Day
It was the early morning of September 16th, 1810, when the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla who around five in the morning, used the bell of the church to gather the town and give the "Grito de Dolores" (Shout of Dolores), which triggered the Mexican War of independence. Every year, the Mexican President re-enacts the call to battle from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City.

The Mexican flag. Colors and meaning
The Mexican flag is one of the three official national symbols in the country, along with the national anthem and coat of arms. The current flag was adopted on September 16th, 1968, it is segmented into three equal parts, each color has a meaning. 

Green - Independence and hope.
White - Religion (Catholic faith) and the unity of the people.
Red - The blood of national heroes.

The coat of arms in the center of the white strip consists of a Mexican eagle devouring a snake. The symbol is based on the Mexican legend that tells how the Aztecs wandered for hundreds of years in the Mexican territory, looking for a signal indicated by their gods to found the city of Tenochtitlán (the current Mexico City) that place would be where they find an eagle devouring a snake, the interesting thing is that the eagle was perched on a cactus located in the middle of Lake Texcoco. That gave the Aztecs a great tactical location to create their empire (but I will tell you about that in another blog).

Everyone to the dining room ¡es Noche Mexicana!
I had a couple of months living in Mexico when I lived my first re-enactment of Independence Day. A friend invited me to the celebration with his family, and I had the opportunity to appreciate it as the locals do at home, and of course, try the Mexican dishes that are the stars of the night, as September 15th is well known as La Noche Mexicana

I'm sure you have tried the best-known Mexican dish: tacos, but the variety that you can easily find in La Noche Mexicana will surprise you. A lot of Mexican dishes have the colors of the national flag during this celebration, dishes like pozole, enchiladas, tostadas, sopes, tacos, quesadillas, and more will be dressed and decorated with those colors even more.

Make sure to try a little bit of everything! The Mexican food is nothing like we use to see outside. I know we get scared of the spicy dishes, but the secret in Mexico is to try the salsa BEFORE putting it into your food. Normally, the food is not spicy by itself unless the dish has the salsa already on it (like enchiladas), but there are different levels of spiciness in the salsas, and maybe you can tolerate some of them.  

What to wear/use
Now that you know the history behind this holiday, and that you know what to eat, let me tell you about the clothes. A lot of people wear typical clothes like zarapes (poncho), hats, Adelita's costumes or just wear the colors of the national flag, to be in sync with the holiday. Kids and teens use makeup to draw the Mexican flag on their faces, or use hair decorations with the flag colors but do not worry, using special clothes or accessories is not mandatory to enjoy the night.

Now you are ready!
Thousands of people join together in La Plaza de la Constitución (also know as El Zocalo) in Mexico City, or in the City Hall in the different cities, to hear the President of Mexico (or the local governor or Municipal President) re-enact the Shout of Dolores. Some other people have their Noche Mexicana at home, and the father or grandfather of the family is the one that recites the shout of patriotism.

The exact words that Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla shouted back in 1810 are not known today, but the tradition is to mention the names of important national heroes of the Mexican War of Independence. Something like this:

Mexicans!
Long live the heroes who gave us our homeland!
Long live Hidalgo!
Long live Morelos!
Long live Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez!
Long live Allende!
Long live Aldama and Matamoros!
Long live the nation's independence!
Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico! Long Live Mexico!

So, are you going to be in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, or another city of Mexico to celebrate Independence Day? Have you ever been here during this holiday? let me know your experience!