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Shout of Dolores |
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Each September 15th, Mexicans commemorate the start of the War of Independence, which began in the small town of Dolores in the State of Guanajuato in 1810 with "El Grito." This national "Grito" celebration is also observed here in Cozumel with a grand gathering in front of the Municipal Building on Raphael Melgar where the Mayor will come out and address the crowd who then responds to honor the cries of those who initiated the Mexican Revolution years ago. This is followed by a grand fireworks display and there will be countless types of local cuisine in the nearby food court as well as games and rides for the kids. All this takes place at Parque Quintana Roo in front of the Palacio (City Hall) on Melgar (Beachfront) street.
This day, known as the Shout of Delores (El Grito de Dolores) or as the Cry of Dolores begins at 11:00pm each September 15th when crowds gather in zocalos and plazas all across Mexico as the mayors of the towns, including Cozumel, ring the symbolic liberty bell and give the "Grito de Delores" as the crowd responds with "Viva Mexico!" In Mexico City, the President of Mexico rings a bell from the balcony at the National Palace in Mexico City. The cry of patriotism, also called the cry of independence is then shouted by the President and marks the beginning of the festivities celebrating Mexico's Independence Day on September 16th.
So essentially, the start of the Mexican War of Independence began in 1810 in Dolores, a small town in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato with "El Grito." The "Grito" (cry/shout) was started by Father Miguel Hidalgo Y Castillo, a Roman Catholic priest when on the night of September 15th, Hidalgo commanded his brother and a number of armed men to make the sheriff release the pro-independence inmates that were being detained in the local jail. They were able to set free eighty (80) men. At 6:00am on September 16th, Hidalgo ordered the church bells to be rung and gathered his congregation, where he encouraged his congregation to revolt against the Spanish colonial government and the crowd responded with bursts of "Viva Mexico!" and "Viva La Independencia!"
There are varying opinions of the actual words Father Hidalgo spoke, but basically, the cry of independence speech he made was comprised of exhortations to "free yourselves," "will you recover the lands stolen three hundred (300) years ago from your forefathers by the hated Spaniards" and "will you defend your religion and rights as true patriots!" Regardless of what was actually spoken, the words of Father Hidalgo immediately inspired over six hundred (600) local men to pick up arms which in the beginning meant nothing more than stones, slings, sticks or spears. And this small, pro-independence movement eventually grew to an eighty thousand (80,000) civilian army of soldiers.
The facts about Father Miguel Hidalgo Y Castillo are quite interesting. Father Hidalgo was a fifty-seven (57) year old Creole who was beloved by his congregation for his continuous efforts on their behalf. He was considered a leading religious mind in Mexico and had formerly served as rector of the San Nicolas Obisbo academy. However, he was banished to the town of Dolores due to his questionable record in the church, namely fathering children and reading prohibited books. He personally had suffered under the Spanish system as his family had been ruined when the crown forced the church to call in debts. He was a believer in the new philosophy that stated that it was allowable to overthrow unjust tyrants. So while he was no saint, liked to gamble, had children out of wedlock and didn't believe in Hell, he was definitely an inspirational leader loved by all.
So if you are fortunate to be visiting our lovely island of Cozumel on September 15th & 16th, get ready to be part of "El Grito" on the 15th and then Mexico's Independence Day celebrations on the 16th! For more about the Independence Day festivities that occur in Cozumel and across Mexico, Read More About Mexico's Independence Day!
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Copyright 2000 - 2024 Sherri Davis, All Rights Reserved. Contributors retain the copyright to their work. Please do not take art or written content without permission. Other graphics and reference materials are used and attributed as per the Fair Use Provision of The Copyright Act and individual terms of use.
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