Tomorrow is Independence Day in Mexico and every city and village is decked out with the national colors of green, red and white. At first sight it seems to be an early Christmas but the flags waving and the slogans (Viva Mexico!) written on banners draped across the streets are evidence that this is a different type of celebration.

For weeks peddlers have been hawking banners, flags of all sizes, hats, paper cut outs, balloons...all the usual hoopla that goes into making such a celebration so colorful. Lighted decorations are set up in every city, the most spectacular being those of the Zócalo, the main plaza, in Mexico City. In every town square at 11:00pm on the night of the 15th the city mayor will re-enact the shout of Independence (El Grito) that set the country on a different course on that September day in 1810. Usually the President rings the bell and gives the call for Independence (Viva Mexico!) from the balcony of the majestic national palace in the Zocalo in the heart of Mexico City. He is accompanied by literally thousands of cheering people who join in with him. All during the evening of September 15 people start gathering in the large area in front of the national palace, many walking around dressed in typical Mexican dress: men as charros and women in indigenous dresses with colorful long skirts and shawls.
By law, once in his 6 year presidential term, the President must travel to the historic town of Dolores Hidalgo in the State of Guanajuato to give the shout of independence from the very building where it was first heard from the mouth of Miguel Hidalgo. It was in this small town in central Mexico that Hidalgo, a local priest, accompanied by co- conspirators, Iganacio Allende and Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez called his followers to arms as he rang his church bell and shouted out “Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!” (It is thought that he also shouted “Abajo el mal gobierno” down with the bad government…but that cry has been lost to history).
This was the beginning of the Independence War, which lasted 10 years. After the bell has been rung and El Grito shouted, the night skies light up with magnificent firework displays. Often there are bands and people dance in the streets. Restaurants are filled to overflow and most offer traditional Mexican dishes such as mole poblano, guacamole and chiles en nogada. This last dish is a very colorful one and is my favorite. Green chiles are stuffed with a mixed meat filling and covered with a cream sauce sprinkled with pomegranate seeds on top, thus displaying the three Mexican National colors. A truly festive dish!