Every year on the night of September 15th, somebody's tío stands up at the family party, raises a beer, and yells ¡Viva México! Everybody yells it back. Nobody asks why.
So let's answer it. Because the story behind that shout is older than the United States' own westward expansion, involves a 57-year-old priest who probably knew he was going to lose, and took eleven years to finish. It deserves better than a footnote between the carne asada and the fireworks.
The short answer
El Grito de Dolores — "the Cry of Dolores" — was the call to arms that started Mexico's War of Independence. It happened in the early morning of September 16, 1810, in the town of Dolores, in what is now the state of Guanajuato. A parish priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell, gathered the town, and called on them to rise up against Spanish colonial rule.
That morning is why September 16 is Mexican Independence Day. And in 2026, we're marking 216 years since it happened.
Who was Miguel Hidalgo?
Hidalgo wasn't a soldier. He was a Catholic priest, a criollo — born in Mexico to Spanish parents — and by all accounts a restless, curious man who read banned books, spoke Indigenous languages, and taught his parishioners how to farm silkworms and make pottery so they'd have something that was theirs.
That last part matters. Under colonial rule, criollos were locked out of the highest offices no matter how educated or wealthy they were. Mestizos and Indigenous people were locked out of nearly everything. Hidalgo was a man with enough standing to see the ceiling clearly and enough conscience to be furious about it.
What actually happened that morning
Hidalgo was part of a group in Querétaro plotting a rebellion, planned for December. In September, the conspiracy was discovered. Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez — La Corregidora, the one on the five-peso coin — got word out that the plot had been exposed.
Hidalgo had two choices: run, or move immediately. Before dawn on September 16, he rang the bell of his parish church, and when the town gathered, he called for revolt.
Here's a detail most people don't know: nobody wrote down exactly what he said. There's no transcript. Accounts differ. What survives is the shape of it — a call to rise up, to end bad government, and to take the country back. Everything shouted on stages and balconies today is a reconstruction built over two centuries.
What we do know is what happened next. Thousands of people followed him. Farmers, miners, laborers, armed with machetes and farm tools. Within weeks the movement had tens of thousands of people in it.
Why it took eleven years
Here's the part that gets skipped. September 16, 1810 is the start of the war, not the end.
Hidalgo was captured and executed in 1811 — less than a year after the Grito. The fight was carried on by José María Morelos, another priest and a far better military strategist, who was himself executed in 1815. Then Vicente Guerrero kept the insurgency alive in the south through years when it looked completely lost.
Independence was finally won in 1821. Guerrero and Agustín de Iturbide — a former royalist commander who switched sides — joined forces, and the Army of the Three Guarantees entered Mexico City that September.
Eleven years. Three generations of leaders, most of whom didn't live to see it. That's what's behind the shout.
So why do we celebrate on the 15th?
Great question, and the answer is a little cheeky.
The main ceremony happens the night of September 15th. The President of Mexico appears on the balcony of the National Palace at around 11 PM, rings a bell, and calls out the vivas. Cities, towns, and consulates around the world do the same thing at the same hour.
The reason the timing landed on the 15th traces back to Porfirio Díaz, who ruled Mexico for most of the late 1800s and early 1900s. September 15 also happened to be his birthday. Convenient. He's also the one who had the original Dolores bell moved to the National Palace in 1896, which is the bell that gets rung today.
So: the ceremony is on the 15th, the holiday is the 16th, and the party runs straight through both. No notes.
What the Grito sounds like now
The modern version follows a pattern. The vivas honor the heroes — Hidalgo, Morelos, Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, Allende, Guerrero — and then close with three shouts of ¡Viva México!, each one louder than the last, answered by everyone in the plaza.
Then the bell rings, the flag waves, and the fireworks start.
If you're in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, or anywhere with a Mexican consulate, there's a version of this happening near you. And if you're at your grandma's house instead, that also counts. It has always counted.
How to celebrate it right
Show up. Bring food. Learn one of the names. Explain to whoever asks that no, this is not Cinco de Mayo, and yes, there is a difference.
And wear something you actually feel good in. Not a costume, not a novelty poncho — something that says you belong to this without turning it into a bit. That's the whole reason we make what we make.
Our Tees De La Independencia collection is built for exactly this week. If you want something with a little more humor in it, the Funny Spanish Collection has you covered.
Either way — ¡Viva México, cabrones!
Frequently asked questions
What does "El Grito de Dolores" mean?
It translates to "the Cry of Dolores." Dolores is the name of the town in Guanajuato where Miguel Hidalgo made the call to arms on September 16, 1810. The town is now called Dolores Hidalgo in his honor.
Is Mexican Independence Day September 15 or 16?
The holiday is September 16. The Grito ceremony takes place the night before, on September 15, which is why the celebration effectively covers both days.
Did Mexico become independent in 1810?
No. 1810 is when the war started. Independence was won in 1821, after eleven years of fighting.
Who rings the bell during El Grito?
The President of Mexico rings it from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City. It's the original bell from Hidalgo's church in Dolores, moved to the palace in 1896. Governors, mayors, and consuls perform their own versions elsewhere.
How many years of independence is Mexico celebrating in 2026?
2026 marks 216 years since the Grito de Dolores in 1810.
More reading: Spanglish Style: Why Our Language is the Ultimate Fashion Statement
Comments