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Independence Day (September 15-16) by Susan Welk de Valdez
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At this point Hidalgo began to have some regrets about the bloodbath he had provoked with his fateful cry of Dolores. When he had made his hasty decision in the pre-dawn hours of September 16, he had not foreseen the mass slaughter of the Spaniards. Before troops descended upon Mexico City, Hidalgo and a few associates retreated to Dolores. Within the year he was tried, condemned and executed by the gachupines.
Every year just before midnight on September 15, Mexicans shout the grito, honoring an impulsive and crucial action that was the catalyst for the country's bloody struggle for independence from Spain. On September 25 of 1821, the Mexican state won its independence from the Spanish crown.
As the clock begins to strike eleven, silence falls over the citizens as mayors across the land step forward to ring the symbolic liberty bell and give the "Grito de Delores", met with the crowds response of "Viva Mexico". Cozumel is no different. Independence day activities are centered around the municipal palace and always include a carnival and amusement rides, family-run food stands featuring local cuisine, and plenty of cerveza. The main stage features local talent and a wide variety of folkloric dance groups who keep the crowd entertained right up until 11:00P.M. El Grito and the traditional ringing of the liberty bell are followed by a spectacular fireworks display accompanied by patriotic music. *FOOT NOTE: SEPTEMBER 15TH OR SEPTEMBER 16TH? Just as Mexican president Porfirio Diaz was responsible for establishing Cinco de Mayo as a national holiday, he also had a hand in changing traditions associated with September 16, Mexicos independence day. On the night of September 15, 1910, special envoys stood on the illuminated balconies of the National Palace and watched the fiesta of all fiestas on the Mexican civil calendar. At 11:00 P.M. President Porfirio Díaz stood on the balcony of the National Palace and rang that very same bell Hidalgo had rung in Dolores. He shouted Viva Mexico, "Long Live the Heroes of the Nation!" "Long Live the Republic!" Below him, a hundred thousand citizens covering Mexico Citys majestic zócalo, shouted in reply "¡VIVA! Why did the president deliver this grito on the evening of September 15th instead of waiting until the dawn of September 16th, when it all really began? As it turns out it was just a matter of priorities and scheduling. September 15th was the Day of Saint Porfirio and was also the birthday of President Porfirio Díaz.
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