DALLAS — For many, Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo often get mixed up. While both are significant in Mexican history, they celebrate entirely different events.

September 16 may feel like just another day in the United States, but in Mexico, it marks one of the most important events in the nation’s history—its Independence Day.

On this date in 1810, in the small town of Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato), Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo rang the church bell and called on the people to rise up against Spanish rule. This historic proclamation, known as the Grito de Dolores or simply El Grito , ignited the Mexican War of Independence.

Each year, Mexicans celebrate El Grito with fireworks, parades, music, and food, as communities across the country commemorate the begi

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