El Día de la Independencia de México
Having too many things to blog about has locked my blogging gears. Too many choices has enabled my procrastination skills to win out. No more...
Last night we took in the Independence Day celebrations in the main square here. Most of the roads near La Plaza Grande were closed off to traffic and the locals crowded the streets. Access to the square was restricted and we had to walk through a security check which was basically, "you don't look dangerous - keep walking". Very nice. No need to empty pockets or remove footware.
Everyone was in a good mood with the usual cross section of ages. Sleepy children being held by parents or grand parents most of whom were looking for a bench to sit on.
Some history - Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued El Grito de Dolores (the Cry of Dolores), his impassioned speach imploring his countrymen to kick the Spanairds out and take control of their country on September 16, 1810.
This cry was appararently a series of "long live so and so" and "death to bad government" - basically a modern political stump speech.
After a series of entertainers serenade us with up tempo brass laden music (it's impossible to have enough trumpets in your band here) its on to the El Grito. In this case, the Governor of the Yucatan recites the phrases of the cry.
El Grito ends with a number of "viva this" and "viva that", after each phrase the crowd shouts back in unison "VIVA". It's all quite moving and the locals are somewhat into it.
My suspicion is that the Yucatan being Mexico's Quebec, there's just a little lacking in the enthusiasm. The Yucatan was an independent republic twice during the 19th century and just don't quite see themselves entirely Mexican.
After El Grito there was a serious fireworks display with an abundance of Mexican green white and red flashes in the sky. The pyrotechnics finale was a cascade of amazingly bright flashes that lite the square brighter than daylight.
We walked home, listening to the after midnight concert featuring La Arrollador Banda El Limon de Rene Camacho (many, many trumpets). Rene carried on into the morning but the hum of the A/C unit masked his intention to animate my incredible dance moves.
The evening was a lot of fun and even educational.
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| Crowd in La Plaza Grande |
Everyone was in a good mood with the usual cross section of ages. Sleepy children being held by parents or grand parents most of whom were looking for a bench to sit on.
Some history - Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued El Grito de Dolores (the Cry of Dolores), his impassioned speach imploring his countrymen to kick the Spanairds out and take control of their country on September 16, 1810.
 |
| Miguel Hidalgo |
After a series of entertainers serenade us with up tempo brass laden music (it's impossible to have enough trumpets in your band here) its on to the El Grito. In this case, the Governor of the Yucatan recites the phrases of the cry.
 |
| Patriotic Chihuahuas |
My suspicion is that the Yucatan being Mexico's Quebec, there's just a little lacking in the enthusiasm. The Yucatan was an independent republic twice during the 19th century and just don't quite see themselves entirely Mexican.
After El Grito there was a serious fireworks display with an abundance of Mexican green white and red flashes in the sky. The pyrotechnics finale was a cascade of amazingly bright flashes that lite the square brighter than daylight.
We walked home, listening to the after midnight concert featuring La Arrollador Banda El Limon de Rene Camacho (many, many trumpets). Rene carried on into the morning but the hum of the A/C unit masked his intention to animate my incredible dance moves.
The evening was a lot of fun and even educational.
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