September 15 marked the beginning of yet another Hispanic Heritage Month in the US—a monthlong celebration whose goal is to “recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans” to that country.
And while I was lucky to celebrate it for a long twenty-two years as a Mexican immigrant in New York City, this year the fiesta hits differently, mostly because I no longer live in the US but in Mexico, where the word “Hispanic” doesn’t really mean much to the average Mexican, and where, in fact, we think of September as the month when we celebrate us getting rid of said Hispanics.
Let me explain.
The reason Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated between September 15 and October 15 in the US is because several Latin American countries—including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and, yes, Mexico—celebrate their independence from Spain around those dates.
In the case of Mexico, Independence Day takes place on September 16 and it is, arguably, the most popular holiday in the country after Mother’s Day. But Mexicans being Mexicans, the celebration is not limited to one single day. No, señor! Instead, we have made sure to turn a patriotic day into a patriotic month (El Mes Patrio). This means that, as soon as September kicks off, the country becomes a sea of green, white, and red, the colors of the Mexican flag.
Merchants nationwide transform their entire business to peddle a paraphernalia of Mexico-themed stuff: toys, shoes, dresses, drinks, food, fans, sombreros, tiny flags, regular flags, HUGE flags. All in the name of celebrating our independence from those pesky Spaniards. The colorful festivities include plenty of alcohol-infused nationalistic cheers to the tune of “Viva México, cabrones!”
WARNING: Before you keep reading and/or go get a green-white-red stick to bash this writer like a celebratory piñata, please remember this column was conceived to be handled with a serious dose of humor.
As I was saying, as Latinos in the US gear up to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, this writer is about to experience her first Mexican Independence Day in Mexico in decades. So in light of my sudden, newfound patriotism, I thought it would be a good idea to put out a simple explainer (hisplainer?) of what Mexican Independence is all about in my home country—and what you can do to celebrate like the locals if you happen to visit Mexico.
What Is Mexican Independence, Anyway?
- Despite what many in America would have you believe, Mexican Independence is not Cinco de Mayo. Thus, it’s celebrated on September 16, NOT May 5!
- The actual celebration of independence kicks off on the night of September 15, when a politician (be it a mayor, a delegate, a governor, or, if you’re in Mexico City, the president) comes out from a balcony minutes before midnight to wave a HUGE flag and make us repeat after him a litany of praises to the heroes who made independence possible.
- Since the bash actually kicks off the night before, by the time the 16th arrives, everybody is just too drunk to remember anything.
- If you happen to shake the hangover and are up and about in Mexico City on September 16, you might as well head out to the Zócalo for an hours-long military parade, an annual tradition that has not failed to disappoint many of us in recent years.
- Once your patriotism is properly stimulated, go grab a bowl or two of pozole, the go-to meal during September, which—unsurprisingly—consists of a tricolor type of soup (green for lettuce and oregano, white for corn hominy, and red for guajillo sauce and radish).
- If you happen to be in Mexico in September and feel like wearing a huge sombrero or an Adelita-style dress, go ahead, it’s kinda OK—as long as you stop doing so by October 1, upon which it’s OK to start exploring Catrina costumes and makeup. But that’s a subject for another column.
I’m only half kidding when I say I’m looking forward to Sunday so I can celebrate my “Mexicaness.” As a dual citizen of Mexico and the US and the descendent of Spaniards immigrants, I guess I just like the vibrant colors, the smell of pozole, and the taste of tequila.
So let’s hear it for septiembre and … ¡Que Viva México!
Stay tuned for Laura Martinez’s next Hisplaining column, which will tackle other key biz terms and jargon and help leaders everywhere smoothly navigate the multicultural business world. In the meantime, send us tips and ideas for other terms and jargon that you’d like to see us feature. And remember: don’t panic . . . it’s just his-PANIC!
