Before everyone had dinner they did el grito, which is when we shout “Viva Mexico” at the top of our lungs and the person leading the grito usually waves the Mexican flag around.
After the dinner, I went to the center of town, where they did the grito at midnight, and then they had a firework show. This truly gave me chills because everyone was so proud to be from Mexico and to be cheering together in unison.
This is a national holiday that is celebrated because it commemorates Miguel Hidalgo’s “Grito de Dolores” (battle cry). He was a priest, who was deemed a revolutionary leader with regard to Mexico’s Independence. On this day, we also shout the names of the other leaders, who were important throughout the revolution. Therefore, this tradition is a symbol of Mexican pride and is a time to celebrate with family, friends, and the entire community!
This tradition can be connected to the environment because, on this day, we enjoy many traditional Mexican dishes. For example, we eat pozole, which is made with cacahuazintle corn that goes through a nixtamalization process. This process is a method of cooking the corn to make it more nutritious and easier for people to digest.
