I don’t have a picture of a Mexican flag. But I tried to honor Mexico’s independence by showing a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary and one of a Charro’s hat.

Note: The following information was published by Heather Brady in National Geographic.

Mexico Independence Day: What You Need to Know

Commonly confused with Cinco de Mayo in the U.S., the celebration of Mexican independence focuses on the moment the revolt began in September 1810.

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

ON SUNDAY, MEXICANS around the globe will celebrate the anniversary of the country’s independence from Spain. The day is marked by a national holiday in Mexico, a reenactment of a historic moment from the revolution’s leader, and an array of performances from fireworks to dance routines.

Often confused with Cinco de Mayo by people living in the United States, Mexico’s independence day is actually September 16. The date marks the moment when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest known as Father Hidalgo, made the first cry for independence. After a moving speech in the Mexican town of Dolores, Hidalgo took up the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a Roman Catholic image of the Virgin Mary as she appears to Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican believer who was later sainted by the church.