 | It has been suggested that this article besplit into articles titledCry of Dolores andMexican Independence Day. (Discuss)(December 2024) |
| El Grito de Dolores | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observed by | Mexico |
| Significance | Commemorates the start of theMexican War of Independence, by repeating the words of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in the early morning of 16 September 1810 |
| Date | 16 September |
| Next time | 16 September 2025 (2025-09-16) |
| Frequency | Annual |
TheCry of Dolores[n 1] (Spanish:Grito de Dolores) occurred inDolores, Mexico, on 16 September 1810, when Roman Catholic priestMiguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and gave thecall to arms that triggered theMexican War of Independence. The Cry of Dolores is most commonly known by the locals as "El Grito de Independencia" (TheIndependence Cry).
Every year on theeve of Independence Day, thepresident of Mexico re-enacts the cry from the balcony of theNational Palace inMexico City while ringing the same bell Hidalgo used in 1810. During the patriotic speech, the president calls out the names of the fallen heroes who died during the War of Independence and ends the speech by shouting "¡Viva México!" three times, followed by the Mexican National Anthem.
In the 1810s, what would become Mexico was stillNew Spain, part of the Spanish crown. FollowingNapoleon's overthrow of the SpanishBourbon monarchy in 1808, Spain's American possessions rose in rebellion, refusing to accept Napoleon's brother,Joseph Bonaparte, as king. In New Spain, the criollo leadership attempted to set a course of autonomy in support of the legitimate heir to the throne,Ferdinand VII, but the peninsular elite, fearing the loss of the colony, carried out a coup, also in the name of Ferdinand. Almost immediately, groups ofcreoles formed various plots around the viceroyalty, including inQuerétaro, of which Father Hidalgo became a part. When the plot was discovered in early September 1810, some plotters decided to proceed with the uprising.[1] Around 2:30 am on 16 September 1810, Hidalgo ordered the church bells to be rung and gathered his congregation. Flanked byIgnacio Allende andJuan Aldama, he addressed the people in front of his church, urging them to revolt. His speech became known as the "Cry of Dolores".[2]
The liberated country adopted Mexico as its official name. Mexico's independence from Spain took adecade of war. Independence was achieved by theDeclaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire 11 years and 12 days later, on 28 September 1821. However, Hidalgo is credited as being the "father of his country".[3]
Scholars have not been able to reach a consensus on the exact words Miguel Hidalgo said at the time. Michael Meyer has noted:
"The exact words of this most famous of all Mexican speeches are not known, or, rather, they are reproduced in almost as many variations as there are historians to reproduce them."[4]
Meyer also argues that:
...the essential spirit of the message is... 'My children: a new dispensation comes to us today. Will you receive it? Will you free yourselves? Will you recover the lands stolen three hundred years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards? We must act at once... Will you defend your religion and your rights as true patriots? Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the Gachupines!'[4]
In contrast, William F. Cloud divides the sentiments above between Hidalgo and the crowd:
[Hidalgo] told them that the time for action on their part had now come. When he asked, 'Will you be slaves of Napoleon, or will you as patriots defend your religion, your hearths, and your rights?' there was a unanimous cry, 'We will defend to the utmost! Long live religion; long live our most holy mother of Guadalupe! Long live America! Death to bad government, and death to the Gachupines!'[5]
Many believe that Hidalgo's Grito condemned the notion of monarchy and criticized the current social order in detail. However, his opposition targeted Spain and its viceroy in Mexico: that is, not against the monarchy in general but against "bad government". The Grito also emphasized loyalty to the Catholic religion, a sentiment with which both Mexican-bornCriollos andPeninsulares (native Spaniards) could sympathize. However, the strong anti-Spanish cry of "Death to Gachupines" (Gachupines being a slur given to Peninsulares) would have shocked Mexico's elites.[6]
16 September was first celebrated in 1812 inHuichapan,Hidalgo.[7] It was given the status of a national holiday in theConstitution of Apatzingán, ratified by the conventions of 1822 and 1824, and first celebrated nationally in 1825.[8]
The Cry of Dolores has assumed an almost mythical status.[9][10] Since the late 20th century, the event has come to symbolize Mexican independence and to initiate Independence Day ceremonies the following day (16 September). Independence Day in Mexico is apatriotic holiday marked by parades, concerts, patriotic programs, drum and bugle and marching band competitions, and special programs on national and local media outlets.[11]
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Every 15 September at around 11 p.m., the president of Mexico stands on the balcony of theNational Palace in Mexico City and rings the same bell Hidalgo rang in 1810, which was moved to the National Palace. The president then recites a shout of patriotism (aGrito Mexicano) based upon the "Grito de Dolores", with the names of the important heroes of the Mexican War of Independence who were there on that historic day. The Grito ends with the threefold shout of¡Viva México!
The Grito often differs slightly from year to year to reflect recent sentiments or a preference by the president for a shorter or longer shout. This is the version usually recited by the president of Mexico:
Beneath the balcony of the National Palace, there is a large crowd in thePlaza de la Constitución (also called theZócalo) to hear the recitation. The event draws up to half a million spectators from all over Mexico and tourists worldwide. After the president recites each line beginning with "¡Viva(n)!", the crowd responds by repeating, "¡Viva(n)!"
After the recitation, the president rings the bell and waves theflag of Mexico to the crowd's applause.
This is followed by the playing of theMexican national anthem by a military band from the Mexican Armed Forces, with the crowd singing along. The ceremonies conclude with a spectacular fireworks display at the Zócalo grounds.
On the morning of 16 September, or Independence Day, thenational military parade in honor of the holiday starts in the Zócalo and its outskirts, passes the Hidalgo Memorial, and ends on thePaseo de la Reforma, Mexico City's main boulevard, passing the "Ángel de la Independencia" memorial column and other places along the way.
The Grito is not always re-enacted at the National Palace; some years, it is performed in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, where it originally happened. This is especially common in the final year of a President's term.
PresidentFelipe Calderón made an exception by re-enacting the Grito in Dolores Hidalgo as part of thebicentennial celebrations on 16 September 2010, even though he had already done so the night before from theNational Palace balcony to launch the celebrations.[12][13] As a result, in 2012, Calderón's final year as president, he did not go to Dolores Hidalgo but gave the Grito from the National Palace balcony instead. PresidentEnrique Peña Nieto did not perform the Grito in Dolores Hidalgo in his six years as president, becoming the fourth president to break the tradition.
Many presidents add their "personal touch" to the Grito, and this can be controversial. PresidentVicente Fox frequently took liberties with it, adding and removing items, addressing Mexicans of both genders, and wishing long life to "our agreements" in 2001.[14] Peña Nieto gave "vivas" to victims of recent earthquakes in 2017.
During Peña Nieto's presidency, the Grito became an occasion for political protest against him and hisInstitutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). On 15 September 2016, thousands of citizens marched, yelled, and carried signs. They tried to enter theZócalo during the Grito but were blocked by a wall of soldiers.[15] News outlets within Mexico failed to acknowledge the protest. The event was well-attended, but opponents charged that the PRI broughtacarreados (poor people or hand-picked party members) as a fake show of support.[16]
The Grito was also disrupted in 2006 by a demonstration called theplantón. Crowds loyal to losing candidateAndrés Manuel López Obrador protested alleged irregularities in the just-concludedgeneral election, and the Grito could not be delivered at the Zócalo but was spoken at the National Palace.[17] López Obrador won the presidency in2018.
In 2020, theCOVID-19 pandemic caused the Grito to be done remotely.[18]
Similar celebrations to the presidential one occur in cities and towns throughout Mexico, as well as Mexicanembassies and consulates worldwide on 15 or 16 September. The chief executive, ambassador, or consul rings a bell and recites the traditional words, including the names of independence heroes and localpatriots, and ends with the threefold shout of¡Viva México! The bell rings again, theMexican flag is waved, and everyone sings the National Anthem, followed by fireworks. There are also celebrations in schools throughoutMexico, and in these cases, whenever the bell ringing is reenacted, the school or university head utters the traditional words. Celebrations also take place outside of Mexico, such as in U.S. states that have a large concentration of people of Mexican heritage who celebrate the holiday.[19]
As Mexico has historically been one of the largest sources of tourism to the region, the U.S. city ofLas Vegas is known for hosting cultural events—including concerts and sporting events—that appeal to Mexicans andHispanic Americans on and around 16 September.[20][21] In the United States,National Hispanic Heritage Month also begins on 15 September; the date was chosen due to its proximity to the independence day of Mexico and other Latin American countries.[20][21][22]
Since the early 1990s,boxing cards with main events involving top Mexican fighters have been a fixture of Independence Day weekend in Las Vegas. While U.S.-hosted fights on the weekend date back as far as the 1970s, the tradition of hosting these fights in Las Vegas was first established byJulio César Chávez and his managerDon King, who fought annually during Independence Day week from 1991 to 1995. All but one of these bouts were held in Las Vegas, with his1993 fight againstPernell Whitaker occurring at San Antonio'sAlamodome instead. The tradition was later taken up by other boxers of Mexican descent, such asOscar De La Hoya andCanelo Álvarez.[23] The tradition has also been extended tomixed martial arts, withUFC beginning to host a Las Vegas event on the weekend promoted asNoche UFC beginning with 2023'sUFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 (with a main event featuring the promotion's first women's champion of Mexican descent,Alexa Grasso), andUFC 306 in 2024 (where all but one of the matches featured at least one fighter of Mexican or Mexican-American descent).[24][25]
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