The history of Mexican
Independence Day:
Many people confuse Mexican
Independence Day with Cinco de Mayo.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the
Mexican army winning at the Battle of
Puebla on May 5, 1862. This victory
happened more than 50 years after
Mexico's Independence Day, which is
celebrated on September 16. It marks
the beginning of Mexico's fight for
independence from Spain.
In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo of
Dolores, Mexico planned a revolt to free
the people of Mexico from the rule of
Spain. On September 15, 1810 at 11:00
pm, Father Hidalgo rang his church bell
to call the people from the town and the
fields. He made a speech, inspiring them
to fight for their freedom and the war of
Mexican Independence began.
Today, Mexican people mark this very
special holiday, by repeating the ringing of
the bells at 11:00 pm on the 15th. That
is followed by a day of celebrations on
the 16th. One of the things people do
to celebrate Mexican Independence Day
is shout the grito de independencia, the
"cry of independence." Ask your adult
to Google "el grito mexicano" to hear it
(it's a loud howling scream that's held as
long as possible as an expression of joy
and excitement.)
Viva Mexico! Happy Mexican
Independence Day!
¿dónde estás?
(DON-day ess-TAHSS)
Where are you?
por favor
(POR-fah-VOR)
please
gracias
(GRAH-see-ahs)
thank you
de nada
(day NAH-da)
You're welcome
>
>
Con permiso
(kohn pear-MEE-soh)
excuse me
Me gusta
(may GOOSE-tah)
i like it
lo siento
(law SEEen-toe)
i'm sorry
How do people celebrate
Hispanic Heritage Month?
Like the U.S. Independence
Day, it is is celebrated in Latin
American countries and here in
the United States with parades,
parties, fireworks, and picnics.
Due to the coronavirus, events
in your town or city may be
cancelled. The good news is, you
can still celebrate at home! Here
are some ideas:
Read about different Hispanic
countries and cultures, and
learn about the contributions
of Hispanic Americans who
have influenced and enriched
our nation and society. (See our
reading list on pages 22, 23 & 24.)
Learn Spanish! If you don't
already speak Spanish, you can
learn some common words and
phrases. (See the lesson below.)
Get festive by cooking some
Latin American dishes. See our
Kids in the Kitchen feature on page
26 for ideas!
Make a craft. Color or paint
the Mexican flag. Make papel
picado -"pecked paper"
banners, or "flores de papel"-
paper flowers. (See instructions
for paper flowers on page 8.)
Statue of Hidalgo in front of his church at Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato.
The statue was erected in 1867.
OfficialKidsMag.com • SepteMBer 2020 • 7
te
amo
(tay AH-moh)
i love
you
