¡Viva
México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! Long live Mexico!
 |
| Grito de Delores! |
At
eleven at night, on September 15th, Presidente Agapito Magaña Sanchez tugged on a thick ribbon-bedecked rope, ringing a large brass
bell and shouting the traditional cry of independence. The huge
crowd shouted back: ¡Viva! ¡Viva! ¡Viva!
The energy in the air sends frissons of excitement through our blood,
tingling our nerve endings: Wow!
 |
| Overhead fireworks in Centro |
And then the fireworks started – blasting from two different directions above the crowd gathered in the city square. Whistling shrieks, then a series of booms, followed by a slight pause and the atmosphere exploded into constellations of red, green, blue, and yellow, the billowing phosphorescent smoke slowly dissipating over the city.
We,
along with family, had been
enjoying a late-night dinner just up the street from Centro at Pita
Amore Restaurante, before heading to the celebrations. We fully
expected everything to be running behind schedule, as is the norm,
but discovered that was not the case. The event was clicking along,
right on schedule.
When
we arrived in Centro, several dancers were on stage. The women
were dressed in huipils – the beautiful, lacy tunics created from
fine white cloth, colourful ribbons, and intricate embroidery.
They
had fanciful flower headdresses woven into their beautiful dark hair,
topped by traditional white straw hats. Their escorts were attired
entirely in white as a counterpoint to their colourful female
partners.
The
men in another dance troupe wore a stylized cowboy outfit, while the
ladies were decked out in red and blue multi-layered fiesta dresses
that could be swirled high in the air. The music, the
smiles, and the colour; an amazing sight.
We
missed the very beginning of the program but were able to enjoy the
dancers for an hour before the cry of independence: the
Grito de Delores.
The original Cry of Delores
was shouted in the early morning hours of September 16th,
1810, by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, in
the small town of Delores near Guanajuato. His proclamation marked
the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence, demanding
independence from the Spanish colonial government.
And
no, Cinco de Mayo is not Independence Day in Mexico.
That date
commemorates a battle between the Mexican army and the French forces
at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th,
1862. Cinco de Mayo is more popular in the USA – especially
since the advent of beer commercials promoting the celebration!
As
the fireworks ended, the ten-person band began playing fun traditional
music, signalling the start of the all-night festivities. The four of
us looked at each other and laughed: yep, it was past our bedtime.
We aren't conditioned for all-night parties.
Walking back
to our vehicle, Lawrie picked up a couple of large pieces of tough
black plastic – smoking hot pieces of plastic that had fallen out
of the sky during the fireworks display.
The shower of hot debris
had sent many people scurrying for shelter. It's normal.
Fireworks displays are always an adventure in Mexico.
Love
this country!
¡Feliz Día De La Independencia!
¡Viva
México! ¡Viva Isla Mujeres!
Hasta
Luego
Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas
Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.
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2 comments:
Looks like a great time was had by all. Thanks for sharing.
This was the first time we had participated in the event. Great evening. Cheers Lynda
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