What ceremony opens Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations each year?

The ceremony that opens Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations each year is the Grito de Dolores.

The ceremony reenacts the call to rebellion associated with Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest who addressed residents of Dolores in the early hours of 16 September 1810. His appeal helped begin Mexico’s war of independence from Spanish rule. The precise wording of Hidalgo’s original speech is uncertain, so modern versions vary.

On the night of 15 September, Mexico’s president rings the bell at the National Palace in Mexico City and leads a patriotic acclamation from the balcony. Governors and mayors conduct similar ceremonies throughout the country. The crowd responds with cries of “¡Viva México!”

The ceremony is held the night before the official national holiday, creating a frequent source of confusion. The celebration begins on the evening of 15 September, but Mexico’s Independence Day itself is 16 September.