🎉 Fiesta de la Independencia de México
Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated every 16th of September and it’s one of the most important national holidays in the country. Streets fill with music, fireworks, flags, decorations and traditional food. Families gather to celebrate and mark the occasion with the symbolic Grito de Dolores.
In this short podcast, we speak with Daniela, our colleague from Monterrey. She explains how her family celebrates, clears up the difference between Cinco de Mayo and Independence Day and shares a closer look at the food, atmosphere and meaning behind the celebration.
🎧 Mini-podcast: Fiesta de la Independencia de México by Inma, Silvia & Daniela
Part 1:
Part 2:
🌟 A Bit of History
In the interview, Daniela clears up a common confusion: Mexico’s Independence Day is not the same as Cinco de Mayo. The real national holiday is celebrated on September 16th, marking the moment known as the “Grito de Dolores”. This symbolic cry for freedom was led by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, calling the people to rise up against Spanish rule. Today, the event is re-enacted every year at midnight, as governors and the president shout “¡Viva México!” from balconies across the country.
📚 Some vocabulary: Mexican Independence Day
- la independencia – independence
- el Grito de Dolores – the Cry of Dolores (historic call to arms in 1810)
- ¡Viva México! – Long live Mexico! (traditional patriotic shout)
- la bandera – flag
- el chile en nogada – typical dish with the 3 colours of the Mexican flag
🧠 Interesting extract and grammar
This is an extract taken from the podcast:
“– Supongo que hay un ambiente muy especial cuando pasa lo del grito, ¿no?
– Sí. Se siente uno muy mexicano, ¿no? Demasiado mexicano, sí. O sea, como te digo, es muy bonito ver la ciudad con todas las banderas y los colores de la bandera.”
To help you practise your grammar, here’s a list of Kwiziq lessons related to this extract:
● Cuando + the present subjunctive vs Cuando + the present indicative in Spanish
● Sentir vs Sentirse (to feel) in Spanish
● Using demasiado, bastante, suficiente, poco, tanto and mucho to express quantity in Spanish
● Using “o sea/es decir” to clarify, explain and express a consequence in Spanish
● Como / cuando / donde / quien with indicative or subjunctive in Spanish
● Spanish impersonal statements followed by the infinitive or by the subjunctive with que
✏️ Practice More!
Try these awesome Kwiziq activities to practice more on the topic fiestas:
● Dictado (Premium subscribers only):
The Mexican flag (A1)
● Fill-in-the-Gaps:
Las Fiestas Patrias (A2 the imperative)
El Grito de Dolores en México (B2 imperfect subjunctive and pluperfect subjunctive)
Fiestas patronales (B2 indicative, subjunctive, infinitive?)
● Reading and Listening activities:
Fiesta Nacional de la Manzana (B2)
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Author info
After working in the travel industry for ten years in Seville, Inma moved to the UK to give a little twist to her life. Since then she's been teaching Spanish as a foreign language to adults for over 15 years in different settings, private lessons, secondary schools and online. Inma is a coffee lover and also loves exploring new places with her family in beautiful Warwickshire, where she lives.
Silvia is a multilingual educator with expertise in English, French, and Spanish, and a passion for helping students excel in language learning. After gaining extensive international teaching experience in the UK and other countries, Silvia returned to her hometown of Vitoria in 2019. Since then, she has been sharing her knowledge and love for languages with learners of all levels. With over a decade of experience, Silvia’s creative and dynamic teaching methods make language acquisition both fun and accessible.
Originally from Mexico, I’m a bilingual marketer with a passion for digital growth, technology, and all things coffee. As Head of Growth at Kwiziq, I focus on expanding our reach and helping more learners discover the benefits of language learning with powerful tools. EdTech inspires me for its potential to transform education and create opportunities across borders.