Why is September 16 Mexico’s Independence Day?

September 16 is celebrated as Mexican Independence Day because it marks the anniversary of the Grito de Dolores, the historic "Cry of Dolores" issued in 1810.12

On that day, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a parish priest in Dolores, rang his church bell and delivered a passionate speech calling for an end to Spanish colonial rule, as well as for racial equality and land redistribution. Although this initial uprising was eventually suppressed and Hidalgo was executed, his actions are credited with launching the Mexican War of Independence.1324

Because Hidalgo is revered as the "father of Mexican independence," the holiday commemorates the birth of the revolutionary movement rather than the date when independence was officially achieved in 1821. Each year on the eve of September 16, the president of Mexico reenacts the Grito from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City to honor this pivotal moment in the nation's history.123