Mexico’s political holidays

The other three political holidays: marking the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution (in February); the birth of 19th century president Benito Juárez (in March); and the start of the 1910-1917 Revolution (in November) pale in comparison with the September independence holiday. Those three have all been moved, since 2006, to the nearest Monday, as part of an initiative to create long holiday weekends, similar to Bank Holidays in the UK, which stimulate tourism.

Not so ‘El Grito‘ which is always held on the night of September 15, and followed by a national day-off on the 16th. Legislators considered that the Independence holiday, like the May 1 international Labor Day, was too significant to be tampered with for the sake of convenience or economics.

One of Mexico’s most important national holidays

September 16 competes with other national holidays in a number of ways.

Like Christmas, it’s a time for lighting up public places with decorations in the green, white and red national colors, including images in neon of the country’s Independence heroes: Miguel Hidalgo, the priest who rang the bell on September 16, 1810, in the town of Dolores, and set the independence movement from Spain in motion; and José María Morelos, the priest who continued the revolutionary work of Hidalgo, making a name for himself as one of the most able of Mexico’s military commanders.

Like New Year, it involves people getting together for an evening meal or party, and waiting to 11 p.m. (instead of midnight) when political leaders from the president down to local mayors re-enact Hidalgo’s call to arms from the balcony of the National Palace, or from countless state and municipal buildings across the nation. These hundreds of simultaneous “gritos” of “Viva México!” are followed by bombardments of fireworks.

Traditional foods, and Mexican flags

These gatherings also have their typical foods, and an Independence Day fiesta is incomplete without pozole, a tasty and nutritious broth made with white corn, pork or chicken broth (vegetarian pozole is also available in some places), and served with radishes, oregano, and other spices.

Flags abound, and entertainments include the military parade in Mexico City, with planes flying in formation over the capital.

The ideal month to buy a Mexican flag

Ambulant vendors selling Mexican flags are everywhere during the first half of September.  If you’re looking for a Mexican flag, this is the easiest time of year to acquire one, as almost every major street corner has someone selling them, from the small plastic flags which attach to a car or window, to colossal flags of monumental proportions—and everything in between.

200 years of El Grito

September 16th is Mexico’s official Independence Day and a national holiday, marking the events that led to the creation of the Mexican Republic following three centuries of Spanish colonial rule.

On the night of September 15th, state officials in towns and cities across the country re-enact Miguel Hidalgo’s pre-dawn grito de independencia (cry of independence), which originally took place in the small town of Dolores Hidalgo, near San Miguel de Allende, in 1810.

Key provincial cities where independence is celebrated

The most popular provincial cities to attend for Independence Day celebrations are San Miguel de Allende and nearby Dolores Hidalgo—the ‘cradle towns’ of the independence movement.  Other popular provincial cities where lively celebrations take place include Guanajuato, Querétaro, Oaxaca, and Puebla, although celebrations are national and every town and city will mark the occasion in its town square.

The capital’s zócalo — focal point for the national festivities

In Mexico City, the capital’s zócalo (main square) traditionally swells with thousands of people who attend to hear the country’s President re-enact the grito from the balcony of the National Palace.

Traditionally, egg-shells filled with confetti are thrown and crushed on people during the celebrations, so we also recommend that leave your ‘Sunday best’ clothes in the wardrobe if you attend a local fiesta—at the town square, or elsewhere.

Statutory holidays are legislated at a Federal level and dates given as a holiday by statute are termed locally as “Dias Feriados.” There are currently ten statutory holidays in Mexico, as well as a range of civic holidays and regional/national festivities.

See also: When to visit Mexico: Seasons and Events

Statutory Public Holiday dates in Mexico

Statutory holidays are dates decreed as national holidays for all workers in Mexico. There are currently ten statutory holiday dates in Mexico, as follows:

January 1

Año Nuevo. New Year’s Day. Banks, offices and factories remain closed.

February 5

Dia de la Constitucion. This day celebrates the promulgation of the country’s 1917 Constitution The date is observed on the first Monday in February.
See also: Long weekend holidays in Mexico

March 21

Cumpleaños de Benito Juarez. The birth date of Benito Juarez, Mexico’s first and most revered President, is celebrated with a public holiday. The date is observed on the nearest Monday to his birth date every March.
See also: Long weekend holidays in Mexico and Benito Juarez
See also: Benito Juarez

March/April:

Semana de Pascua. Easter week holidays vary depending on each year: consult your calendar for details. In Mexico, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are designated public holidays.
See also: Easter in Mexico

May 1:

Dia del Trabajo. Mexico, like many other industrialized countries, Mexico celebrates Labor Day on May 1 every year, commemorating the advent of workers’ unions. All banks and offices close, but most shopping centers remain open for business.

September 16

Dia de la Independencia. This date commemorates the date when Father Miguel Hidalgo made his ‘cry for independence’ on September 16, 1810 in the town of Dolores Hidalgo — an event that ultimately led to Mexico’s independence from Spanish rule. Independence celebrations take place on the evening of September 15; September 16 is a public holiday.
See also: Independence Day in Mexico

November 2

Dia de los Fieles Difuntos. Mexico’s “Day of the Dead”, celebrations take place over 2 days (November 1st and 2nd) and contemporarily, October 31 is often included, taking-in Halloween. Mexico’s banks and businesses close on November 2, to observe this important religious holiday in Mexico.
See also: Day of the Dead in Mexico

November 20

Dia de la Revolucion. November 20 commemorates the start date of Mexico’s 1910 revolution, led by Francisco I. Madero. The date is observed on the third Monday in November.
See also: Mexican Revolution and Long weekend holidays in Mexico

December 1 (presidential election year)

Transmision del Poder Ejecutivo Federal. Mexico’s Federal Government and Presidency returns for re-election every six years. On the date of transition, which is December 1 every six years, Mexico observes a public holiday.
See also: Mexican Politics

December 25

Dia de Navidad. Christmas Day is observed with a public holiday in Mexico.
See also: Christmas in Mexico

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Civic holidays in Mexico

In addition to the national holidays decreed by statute, Mexico observes a number of other Civic Holidays. These are not holidays although some states and municipalities may observe them and offer workers time off in their locale.

February 19

Dia del Ejercito. Army Day, also known as Dia de la Lealtad (Day of Loyalty), commemorates the day when President Madero was escorted to the National Palace by cadets of the nation’s military college.

February 24

Dia de la Bandera. Flag Day was introduced by President Lazaro Cardenas, a man best known for having nationalized Mexican oil reserves in the 1930’s. The day commemorates Mexico’s current flag as well as previous ones. Schools often get children to undertake flag research projects for presentation on this day.

March 18

Anniversario de la Expropriacion Petrolera. This day commemorates the day in 1938 when President Lazaro Cardenas expropriated all oil reserves and declared oil a strategic Mexican national asset.

April 21

Heroica Defensa de Veracruz. The Heroic Defense of Veracruz commemorates the defense of Veracruz in 1914 when the port city was sieged the by the USA.
See also: Guide to Veracruz

May 5

Batalla de Puebla. The Battle of Puebla, or more commonly referred to as simply Cinco de Mayo, is observed as a public holiday in the state of Puebla, but nowhere else in Mexico. The date commemorates the victory of a small Mexican army against a French army double the size on May 5, 1862. The French re-took the city a year later and soon after installed Emperor Maximilian in 1864. The date is far more widely celebrated by people in the USA than in Mexico itself; possibly due to beer and liquor companies aligning themselves with the date as part of their US marketing. The date is sometimes mistakenly associated with Mexico’s Independence, which is September 16.
See also: Cinco de Mayo in Mexico

May 8

Cumpleaños de Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Miguel Hidalgo is known as the “Father of Mexican Independence.” Although he and his conspirators were captured and executed by the Spanish for their insurgency against the Spanish Crown, his movement gave inspiration and created a political vacuum that eventually led to Mexico’s independence from Spain and, alongside Ignacio Allende and Jose Maria Morelos, is a revered personality in Mexico’s independence history.
See also: Mexico’s History

June 1

Dia de la Marina. Mexico’s Navy Day, acknowledging the nation’s maritime service men and women. The day is commemorated with various military parades.

September 13

Dia de los Niños Heroes. “Boy Heroes” (or Cadet Heroes); this day commemorates the events which took place at the Battle of Chapultepec, in modern-day Mexico City. The battle, which took place during the Mexican-American war in 1847, gave victory to US troops over Mexican forces defending Chapultepec Castle. According to military records, six cadets refused to fall back as the superior US forces moved to take the castle; choosing to fight to the death; the last of the six is said to have wrapped himself in a flag and jumped from the castle point. The event is also commemorated in a permanent monument of six pillars, which stands at the foot of the castle near the capital’s principal boulevard, Paseo de la Reforma.

September 27

Consumacion de la Independencia. Consummation of Independence; this date marks the end of the War of Independence, eleven years after Miguel Hidalgo’s ‘cry for independence’.

September 30

Cumpleaños de Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon. Birth date of Jose Maria Morelos, a general in the armed struggle for independence who took up leadership of the rebellion following the execution of Miguel Hidalgo. Jose Maria Morelos was captured and executed by the Spanish for treason in 1815. Following the execution his Lieutenant, Vicente Guerrero, continued the armed struggle against the Spaniards for Mexican independence. The city of Valladolid was later renamed in his honor to present-day Morelia.
See also: Guide to Morelia.

October 12

Dia de La Raza. Columbus Day; commemorates the Discovery of the New World by the Italian navigator, Christopher Columbus.

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Principal festivity dates in Mexico

These festivities are generally observed in modern-day Mexican culture, but they are not statutory or civic holidays in Mexico.

January 6

Epiphany, also known in Spanish as Dia de los Reyes Magos. In previous generations it was on this day that children received their holiday gifts; today, children receive their gifts at Christmas and sometimes an additional gift on this date. It’s also the date when Rosca de Reyes is taken, a sweet bread inside which is hidden a plastic doll. If your slice contains the doll, you host a party at your home on February 2, Candles mass, and serve Mexican corn tamales.

February 2

Dia de la Candelaria – Candle mass. This is the date when tamales, flavored (sweet or sour) corn paste wrapped in corn leaves and steamed, are eaten. If your slice of Rosca de Reyes contained the plastic doll, traditionally you serve tamales at a house party on this date.

February 14

Not traditionally a Mexican holiday, but with the Anglo-American influence February 14th is celebrated as Valentines Day — Dia del Amor y la Amistad — particularly in more urbanized places across the country.

April 30

Dia del Niño — Children’s Day is widely observed in Mexico. It’s not a holiday but children receive gifts from family members on this day.

May 10

Dia de las Madres — Mother’s Day is an important cultural date in Mexico, as the country has a strong matriarchal culture. Families take their mothers and grandmothers out to lunch. Restaurants are very busy on this date.

May 15

Dia del Maestro — Teacher’s Day, traditionally school-age children will take their home room teacher a small gift.

Third Sunday in June

Dia del Padre – Father’s day in Mexico. Children will buy a gift for their father and some families take their fathers out to lunch. Restaurants are very busy on this date.

November 1 & 2

Dia de los Muertos, also Dia de los Fieles Difuntos: All Saints Day and All Souls Day. One of the most important religious holidays in Mexico. November 1 is not a public holiday but November 2 is. Halloween (October 31) is often tied-in with the festivities these days.
See also: Celebrating Life on Day of the Dead in Mexico

December 12

Dia de la Virgen Guadalupe – Not a public holiday but an important religious holiday in Mexico.
See also: The Virgin Guadalupe and Juan Diego

December 16-24

Posadas Navideñas – Christmas processions begin on the 16th and run until Christmas Eve on December 24.
See also: Posadas Navideñas

December 24 & 25

Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) and Dia de Navidad (Christmas Day). Traditionally, Mexicans take their main Christmas meal and open presents on the evening of the 24th. Some families have taken up the Anglo-American tradition of eating on the 25th. The 25th is a public holiday, but the 24th is a normal working day in Mexico.
See also: Christmas in Mexico

December 28

Dia de los Santos Innocentes — Day of the Innocent Saints. This is a day when Mexicans traditionally play practical jokes on each other, similar to April Fool’s day in the Anglo traditions.

December 31

New Year’s Eve. New Year’s eve is a traditionally a family affair in Mexico, although the squares of main towns and cities will fill up with revelers celebrating the New Year.
See also: New Year Celebrations in Mexico

When to visit Mexico

Mexico offers visitors and foreign residents year-round opportunities to enjoy the climate, culture, and events taking place here. For details about seasons and events see the article about when to visit Mexico

The $100-peso note design features

The new $100 peso bill is presented in hues of orange and turquoise.  The scholar and philosopher Sor Juana Inés is featured on the note; she was featured on the previous $200 peso note before the current design was introduced in 2019.  The reverse side of the new bill features the bioreserve of Monarch Butterflies that overwinter in Mexico between November and March.  The new bill is printed on polymer (a type of plastic) and, unusually, it’s presented in a vertical format; to now, Mexican bank notes had always been presented in horizontal formats except for special editions.

Part of a new design series

This is the third in a new series of bills being rolled-out by Mexico’s central bank.  On August 28, 2018 the Bank of Mexico introduced a redesigned $500 peso bill. and on September 2, 2019 the latest $200 peso bill was placed into circulation. Other denominations of this new series in coming years will include a new $1,000 peso bill, and a new $50 peso bill.

Mexico’s bank notes have become increasingly sophisticated over the years in a bid to thwart counterfeiters, and this latest series builds on advances in bank note technology.  You can learn more about the new note on the bank’s website.

It takes time for new bank notes to enter physical circulation and the current $100 peso bill will remain legal tender until further notice.  After the Bank of Mexico withdraws a bank note from circulation, genuine notes can be exchanged at retail banks for a while, and indefinitely afterwards at the Bank of Mexico itself.

Learn about money and banknotes in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a wealth of information about Mexico’s money, banking services, and banknotes.

• Articles about Mexico’s banknotes
• Latest articles about Money and finance in Mexico
• Download our free eBook about Money and Bank Services in Mexico
• Download our free eBook about the Cost of Living in Mexico

Design features of the $200-peso note

The new $200 peso bill is presented in a similar shade of green as the current note and features Miguel Hidalgo and José María Morelos — the two key protagonists of the country’s independence movement — replacing the scholar and philosopher Sor Juana Inés.  The reverse side of the new bill features an eagle flying over El Pinacate bio-reserve in the northern state of Sonora.

Part of a new design series

This is the second in a new series of bills being rolled-out by Mexico’s central bank.  On August 28, 2018 the Bank of Mexico introduced a redesigned $500 peso bill. Other denominations in coming years will include a new $100 peso bill; a new $1,000 peso bill; and a new $50 peso bill.  The existing $20 peso bill, that remains in wide circulation, will eventually be fully replaced by a new $20 peso coin that was launched in April 2020.

Mexico’s bank notes have become increasingly sophisticated over the years in a bid to thwart counterfeiters, and this latest series builds on advances in bank note technology.  You can learn more about the new note on the bank’s website.

It takes time for new bank notes to enter physical circulation and the current $200 peso bill will remain legal tender until further notice.  After the Bank of Mexico withdraws a bank note from circulation, genuine notes can be exchanged at retail banks for a while, and indefinitely afterwards at the Bank of Mexico itself.

Learn about money and banknotes in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a wealth of information about Mexico’s money, banking services, and banknotes.

• Articles about Mexico’s banknotes
• Latest articles about Money and finance in Mexico
• Download our free eBook about Money and Bank Services in Mexico
• Download our free eBook about the Cost of Living in Mexico

Choosing The Right Season to Visit Mexico

Spring and summer in Mexico

Spring and summer are the hottest months in Mexico, so if you prefer more temperate climates, choose Mexico in the autumn and winter months or visit places in Mexico’s highlands (principally, Colonial Cities and inland nature areas), keeping away from the low-lying coasts which are particularly hot and humid during the summer months.

See Also: Spring Climates in Mexico and Summer Climates in Mexico

Related: Hot Coasts, Cool Colonial Cities

Autumn and winter in Mexico

High summer temperatures begin to ease from September onward. The cooler temperatures bring an end to the monsoon rains, and although the highland areas of the country can turn cool (and even cold overnight and early mornings), the coastal areas south of the Tropic of Cancer tend to remain warm, only cooling overnight or if a cold front blows down from the north—which does happen on occasions.

See Also: Autumn Climates in Mexico and Winter Climates in Mexico

The rainy season in Mexico

Mexico’s rainy season runs from May to October each year. Rains can start a little earlier or later. Rain storms tend to arrive in the afternoon, leaving the evenings dry and cooled-off, with mornings bright and sunny. If you want guaranteed sunshine, either avoid the rainy season or visit an area in Mexico not affected by it. For further information see:

See Also: Mexico’s Rainy Season and the Mexico Climates page.

The dry season in Mexico

When the season rains finish in the late fall the cycle begins to unveil a significant change as the moisture evaporates from the ground and the air becomes noticeably drier.  Learn more about the dry season in Mexico.

Mexico, a land of three lands

Mexico’s geographical territory is composed of a diverse topography including coastal plains, temperate highlands and extensive mountain ranges which climb to heights of over 10,000 feet above sea level. This diversity gives rise to a range of different climate zones. Learn more about these to help you choose locations to visit in Mexico:

See Also: Land of Three Lands

A note about high elevations in Mexico

Many really good places to see in Mexico are situated at high altitudes.  Heights of 5,000-7,000 feet above sea level are not unusual for cities in Mexico’s colonial heartland as well as those in the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas.  Mexico City and Guadalajara are also cities situated at altitude. To learn more about how to acclimatize:

See Also: Breathing Easy at High Elevation

Major events in Mexico

If you plan to visit Mexico during a major national event you will need to plan ahead as transport, and hotels in particular, become booked-up quickly in certain areas at certain times of the year.

Guelaguetza

If you are visiting Oaxaca in mid July for the Guelaguetza Festival, you will definitely need to book your accommodations in advance for this event.

Spring and Autumn Equinox

If you plan to visit Chichen Itza on/around March 21st and/or September 21st each year, you will need to book local accommodations well in advance.

Feria de San Marcos

If you plan to be in or nearby Aguascalientes between mid March and mid April, you will need to book in advance, as the city’s annual fair attracts some 3 million visitors and all decent hotels get booked solid during the 3-week long festival.
See Also: Feria de San Marcos, Aguascalientes

Mother’s Day in Mexico

May 10 is Mother’s Day in Mexico, a huge cultural event. If you are in Mexico on this day and plan to eat out, it’s advisable to book your restaurant table in advance.

Pamplonadas in San Miguel Allende

If you plan to visit San Miguel Allende during late September, book your hotel in advance and keep in mind that the town’s Pamplonadas, (“bull runs”) take place in the city the second from last or last weekend of the month (varies by year). The event attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the area and it’s not unusual for at least one person to get hurt—we recommend exercising precautions if you do attend.

Independence Day

The week leading up to and including September 15th & 16th each year requires advance booking at hotels in all of Mexico’s principal towns and cities and especially in historic places with strong links to the independence movement including: Mexico City, Queretaro, San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato.

Festival Cervantino in Guanajuato

Guanajuato is host to one of the country’s most important art culture festivals—Festival Cervantino. It runs for three weeks in October (exact dates vary) and you absolutely need to book your accommodations and travel in advance if you plan to visit the festival or be in Guanajuato during October.
See Also: Festival Cervantino

Day of the Dead

The week leading up to and including November 1st & 2nd each year. You definitely need to book ahead if you are visiting the colonial cities of Patzcuaro or Oaxaca.
See Also: Celebrating Life on Day of the Dead

Carnaval de Veracruz

The Carnaval de Veracruz, which is said to rival Rio and New Orleans, is scheduled to begin nine days before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, so the exact dates change each year. The carnival attracts people regionally, nationally and internationally, so if you plan to attend, be sure to book your travel and accommodation in advance.

Mérida Festival

The City of Mérida Festival, celebrating the city’s birth over 460 years ago, and the city’s principal arts festival overlap each other in January. If you are planning to attend the events or travel in Merida during this time, book in advance.

Peak holiday seasons in Mexico

In addition to the major calendar events, Mexico is popular at certain times of the year, as described in this summary:

Christmas & New Year

Mexicans and foreign visitors alike get away with their families at Christmas, making beach resorts and popular colonial cities very busy indeed. Airports and bus stations are particularly busy on the days at the beginning and end of the Christmas holiday season.
See Also: Christmas in Mexico and New Year Celebrations in Mexico

Easter Week (Semana Santa)

Easter is a huge holiday in Mexico. With Mexican schools out and foreign visitors arriving in large numbers, this is the tourism’s industry’s busiest time of the year – even bigger than Christmas and New Year. You must book in advance if you plan to travel to Mexico’s popular resorts, beach towns and colonial cities; although some places, like Mexico City, are quieter and provide an opportunity to visit the capital with less crowds.
See Also: Mexico City During Easter Week

July and August

July and August are the peak holiday months in Mexico. If you plan to visit Mexico at the height of summer, expect airports, bus stations and hotels to be more crowded and room prices and air fares will be more expensive too; in line with peak prices for Easter and Christmas.

Public Holidays in Mexico

Mexico has a number of public holidays, including some ‘Holiday Weekends’ where major holiday dates are moved to the nearest Monday to make a long weekend. You can learn about these on the Mexico Public Holidays page.

In particular the Creoles (those born in New Spain of Spanish parents) resented being considered inferior by those born in the European homeland. They saw an opportunity in the Spanish war against Napoleon’s invasion of 1808.

The main protagonists of the Independence were the priests Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and José María Morelos.

On September 16, 1810, Hidalgo freed the prisoners in the town of Dolores, locked up the Spanish authorities and called the people to rebel by ringing the church bells. Hidalgo started out with 600 men, but soon had 100,000 and overran towns of central Mexico. Hidalgo was tricked, caught, and condemned the following year, and was executed by firing squad on July 30, 1811.

Morelos, from the western city of Valladolid (now Morelia) led successful campaigns in 1812 and 1813, which included the capture of the city of Acapulco, the then principal trading port on the Pacific coast. He was captured and shot on Dec. 22, 1815. Despite the setbacks, the independence movement continued under the Creole colonel Agustín de Iturbide. On September 28, 1821, the first independent government was named with Iturbide at the head.

Independence was followed by thirty years of great political turmoil, which included the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 in which Mexico lost Texas, California, and New Mexico to the victors.

Then came a period of reform, led by the educated of the country. The liberal Benito Juarez, who would be elected president in 1861, promoted reform laws that were incorporated into the Constitution of 1857. As provisional president, he also reduced the powers of the Roman Catholic Church, and confiscated church property.

In 1864, Austrian Archduke Maximilian was made Emperor with the backing of Napoleon III. Maximilian ruled Mexico until 1867, when he was defeated and shot after Napoleon pulled out his troops to fight a war with Prussia. The return to government of Juarez is also known as the Restoration of the Republic.

The Juarez years were followed by the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, a military leader who was president from 1876-1880 and 1884-1911. Mexico underwent a period of unprecedented economic development under Diaz, with the construction of railroads, ports, and telecommunications. But Diaz’s repressive government and the increasingly wide gap between rich and poor, coupled with Diaz’s courting of foreign investors and large landowners, led to discontent and uprising after he won yet another election in 1910—his sixth consecutive re-election.

The 1910-1917 Revolution was started by Francisco Madero, a democratically minded politician who was opposed to re-election. With military uprisings by Francisco Villa (or “Pancho” Villa as he is commonly known) in the north, and Emiliano Zapata in the south, Diaz was soon forced to resign and go into exile. Madero became president, but his army chief Victoriano Huerta staged a coup in 1913 and had him killed. Huerta stepped down in 1914, and Venustiano Carranza become president.

While few Mexicans question the importance of the birth of an independent nation after three centuries of colonial rule, the 1910-1917 period of conflict that led to the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution was far more complex, and to a certain extent inconclusive. A number of the better-known heroes of the Revolution were themselves killed in acts of treachery well after 1917: Emiliano Zapata in 1919, Venustiano Carranza in 1920, Francisco Villa in 1923, and Álvaro Obregón in 1928.

Disagreements continue to this day on the significance of the events that made up the Revolution, with ideas usually influenced by political views. The revolution is not the same thing seen from the left as from the right, and its success or failure from either of those viewpoints is not something that can be easily settled. The Wikipedia article (Spanish) illustrates how complicated a matter it was.

A new Constitution was promulgated in 1917 which, among other things, restored communal land to the Indian population and renewed the anti-clericalism of the Juarez years.

Next: Modern Times

Discover Mexico’s history, from pre-hispanic times, through the movement to independence, the revolution, and modern-times

INEGI, as the institute is known, has a custom of coming up with marriage statistics on Valentine’s day, education data on Teachers Day, birth and death rates on Day of the Dead, and a host of other trivia for the innumerable World days and International days that dot the international calendar.

September is Mexico’s Mes de la Patria when the country celebrates its independence from Spain and the historical characters who helped bring it about, and in September 2014 the usually conventional institute outdid itself in creativity by publishing statistics on the number of streets in the country that are named after the different national heroes and key dates in the nation’s history.

Some of the results are not so surprising: Miguel Hidalgo, or just Hidalgo, known as Father of the Homeland, is the most common name for streets nationwide, with more than 14,000 currently in existence. He is followed by revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata. So far so good.

Perhaps less expected is that Cinco de Mayo, the date that marks the 1862 victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, is more common than 16 de Septiembre, Mexico’s Independence Day. The irony is that Cinco de Mayo is more celebrated by Mexicans in the U.S., where many apparently confuse the date with Mexico’s Independence (could it be that it’s more similar in sound to Fourth of July?).

Other popular street names include Benito Juárez, Francisco I. Madero, and Lázaro Cárdenas.

The list with number of streets–and even a breakdown of street name by States–can be found by searching INEGI’s website

September 16, 2010 marked the passing of two centuries since the first cry that sparked the independence movement.  The bicentenary “grito“, as the cry is known, was re-enacted by Mexico’s then-president, Felipe Calderon (ex-presidents, including Vicente Fox and Carlos Salinas were also there), on the balcony of Mexico City’s National Palace, overlooking the capital’s main square, Plaza de la Constitucion.

The re-enactment of El Grito—which involves reciting Hidalgo’s words and ringing a bell—takes place in central plazas across the country every year, with the governor, mayor, or senior city official (depending on the size and importance of the location) undertaking the grito.

Although the 2010 celebrations were billed as Mexico’s “200th anniversary”, this year’s celebrations best mark the beginning of Mexico’s independence movement: the country had to wait a further 11 years until, on September 28, 1821, Mexico’s first independent government was named—headed by Colonel Agustin Iturbide.

Mexico’s road to independence from its European masters and its fortunes as an independent nation have been a colorful and tumultuous journey; a quick browse through Mexico’s history will give you an insight into the country’s growing pains.

Notwithstanding its turbulent past, and its current challenges, today Mexico is in the throes of becoming a key player in an increasingly globalized world. Mexico is an oil-rich state with impressive domestic infrastructures by Latin American standards; it has matured politically with a democratically-elected bicameral legislative body; it has impressive plans and aspirations for social and welfare programs to alleviate poverty and decrease its reliance on petro-dollars. Further, its territory shares a c.2,000 mile land border with the world’s most influential nation of the age; and the country has been ranked by economic researchers as being among the top 15 most important emerging economies of the 21st Century.

As Mexicans and expatriates gather each year in plazas, halls, and homes across the country to mark another year in Mexico’s independence, they do so at a stage when, notwithstanding its current challenges, Mexico’s macro prospects look more promising than they ever have in its history.

See Also: History of Mexico

Among them is the construction of the Bicentennial Monument which began this week with the ceremonial laying of the first stone, and the introduction of commemorative banknotes.

The design for the new monument, to be built on the capital’s Paseo de la Reforma, isn’t without its detractors. There has been some muttering that the contest was supposed to be for an arch, not a straight design. Others are happy to see something modern.

The new banknotes—200-peso bills for the 200th anniversary of the Independence, and 100-peso bills for the 100th anniversary of the Revolution—are expected to be stashed away by many people as collectors items, although they are also legal tender. They look like this and this.

The central bank plans to have 50 million of each printed, not quite enough for everyone to have one.  Already, a number of different 5-peso coins have been introduced bearing  images of historical figures of those two eras.