El Grito de Dolores is the shout that started Mexico’s war of independence, and it is re-enacted every 15 September at 11pm by the president from the National Palace balcony. Not on the 16th — the night before.
That timing confuses people, and it is the single most useful thing to know about how Mexico actually marks its independence.
What happened in Dolores
In the early hours of 16 September 1810, in the town of Dolores in Guanajuato, the parish priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and called his congregation to rise against Spanish colonial rule. That call is the Grito de Dolores — the Cry of Dolores.
It began a war that ran until 1821. Hidalgo himself did not see it finish: he was captured and executed in 1811. Mexico marks the day the fight started, not the day it was won — which is a different choice from most countries.
Why the ceremony is on the 15th
Because the shout happened in the early hours. The modern re-enactment is held late on the night of 15 September, so that it carries over into the 16th as the original did. The president rings a bell, calls out the names of the independence heroes, and the crowd answers ¡Viva México! three times.
So the party is on the 15th and the holiday is on the 16th. Both are correct.
One footnote that says a lot about how long it took to be treated as a country: the United States did not recognise Mexico until 12 December 1822, when President Monroe received José Manuel Zozaya as Mexican Minister — more than twelve years after the Grito, and over a year after the war ended.
What it is not
It is not Cinco de Mayo. That is a different date, a different century and a different empire — 5 May 1862, a battle against France. We have a whole piece on the mix-up, because it is the most persistent misunderstanding about Mexican history in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is El Grito de Dolores?
The call to arms made by the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Dolores, Guanajuato, in the early hours of 16 September 1810, which began Mexico’s war of independence.
Why is El Grito celebrated on 15 September?
Because the original shout happened in the early hours of the 16th. The re-enactment is held late on the night of the 15th so it carries into the 16th, as the original did.
Who was Miguel Hidalgo?
A Catholic parish priest in Dolores who called for rebellion against Spanish rule in 1810. He was captured and executed in 1811, ten years before independence was achieved.
When did Mexico actually become independent?
In 1821, after an eleven-year war. Mexico commemorates the start of that war on 16 September rather than its conclusion.
Is Mexican Independence Day the same as Cinco de Mayo?
No. Independence is 16 September, marking 1810 and Spain. Cinco de Mayo is 5 May, marking an 1862 battle against France.
Mexico’s date sits two days after the five Central American countries that share 15 September — the cluster that gives Hispanic Heritage Month its odd mid-month start.
Sources
- “Mexico” Office of the Historian, US Department of State — for the date of US recognition, and on the 1808 French invasion of Spain that opened the way for Latin American independence movements.
Researched and written by Victor Ramirez. Edited and fact-checked by Mia Alejandra Umphrey. Drafting assisted by AI; the 1810 Grito and Hidalgo’s role reflect the standard historical record and are attributed rather than cited to a single source; the State Department page is cited only for the 1822 recognition date, which is what it actually documents; where dates of the ceremony versus the holiday differ, both are explained rather than reconciled into one. See our editorial standards.
