We are now a few days away from a very important national día festivo (an official holiday) which can´t go unnoticed. I´m sure that if you have recently strolled around downtown San Jose del Cabo you´ve noticed -besides the impressive remodeling works to the town´s main square- a series of green, white and red lights that criss-cross the streets´ skyline along with paper adornments cut-out to different patterns in a technique called "papel picado" or punched paper -also on the same colors as the lights representing the mexican bandera (flag). This means that we are in the month of September, when we Mexicans celebrate our independence. It´s called Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) and the celebration goes on from the night of Sept. 15 onto the 16, which is actually the official day.
Photo by: Atención San MIguel
In Los Cabos, which as you know is made up of two towns, San José del Cabo & Cabo San Lucas, the celebration is not very different from those across the country. People will gather the night of the 15th at both towns´ City Halls where a number of different attractions are set up to entertain the attendants to the festivities. Among them are stands serving different sorts of traditional Mexican dishes like Pozole, Quesadillas and Tamales. You can also see carts filled with Mexican banderas as well as known folk bands playing banda and norteño music on stages mounted right in the middle of it all. In San Jose there is usually a traveling fair welcoming visitors of all ages to the joy of games such as the merry-go-round, shooting galleries and ring tossing for prizes to name just a few. Souvenirs and other flag-colored memorabilia can be found everywhere too, key holders, caballitos (a small glass to drink straight tequila), posters..you name it.
The crowd moves along the stands, cotton-candy sellers and cheerful groups of friends singing to different tunes in the wake of what is called "El Grito" (the shout...literally) which is the ceremony that commemorates the beginning of the fight for independence back in 1810. During this ceremony, usually the towns´Major -presidente municipal- or another high-ranking local government official will come out the City Hall´s main balcony to remember the heroes of independence by shouting out their names while the people below respond also screaming out !Viva Mexico! !Viva la Independencia! It´s a very exciting experience which culminates with fireworks and a long night of fiesta (party).
If you happen to be in town, don´t miss the opportunity to mingle with the locals as you are surely to have an excellent time and a delicious meal!
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