Long live Mexico!

Actually, I wanted to write this post last week, but better late than never: Here's a report of my experiences on the National Day, September 16, which is celebrated big in Mexico.

On September 16, the 'Día de la Independencia' (Independence Day) is celebrated throughout Mexico to commemorate September 16, 1810. On this day, the priest Miguel Hidalgo demanded the independence of Mexico and called for resistance against Spanish colonial rule with the shout '¡Viva México!', also known as the 'Grito de Dolores' (Cry of Dolores). The day before, on September 15, the Independence Day is already celebrated. People gather in their cities across the country and at 11 pm, the 'Grito de Dolores' is shouted together, followed by a lot of fireworks and/or other festivities.

On September 15, there are traditional dishes that families eat together in the evening. This includes 'Pozole', which my host mother prepared for all of us. Pozole is a stew made with white corn, onions, meat, and other ingredients such as lettuce, radishes, lime, and more onions that are added after cooking. We also had 'Tostadas' as a side dish, which are crispy tortillas.

After dinner, I went to the city center of Cholula with Fernando and his girlfriend to watch the fireworks and experience the 'Grito de Dolores'.

September 16 is the National Day and most people have the day off. However, I still went to work because the village of San Jéronimo Tecuanipan also celebrated the Independence Day, which I didn't want to miss. The village organized a parade in which the schools and institutions of the village participated. They presented themselves either in festive attire or in their uniforms and work clothes. My bosses Manuel and Ina also participated in the parade with their cooperation 'SanJe', which aims to connect and empower the farmers in Tecuanipan. Afterwards, everyone gathered at the village square.

On this day, I also ate a typical Mexican street food for the first time at a stand, which originated in Puebla: Chalupas. The base of Chalupas is a fried corn dough that is topped with salsa, cheese, and other add-ons like meat or lettuce. Very tasty, but also a bit spicy (at least for me).

Overall, the National Day is celebrated big here, with music, dance, food, and lots of tradition. The Independence Day is also celebrated in schools on September 15, and all the children come to school dressed up, eat together, dance, and sing.

That's all about the most important holiday here in Mexico. In another entry, I will report on what I did in the past two weeks :)

Best regards from Mexico

Yours, Sandy