The Faces of Mexico’s Bicentennial, in Mexico City

WRITTEN BY Mark Chesnut

A recent article in the New York Times indicated that people weren’t that excited about Mexico’s Bicentennial this week. But it would be difficult to say that if you were attending the actual festivities. More than one million people attended the celebrations in Mexico City, where I’ve been visiting this week.
On Wednesday morning, I visited the Zocalo, the massive city square where early revelers arrived early to claim their spots for the evening’s celebrations (at least 60,000 people were reported to have been there in the evening). That night, I headed with a group of journalists to the quieter neighborhood called Coyoacan for a smaller scale, but equally good-spirited, version of Mexico’s birthday party. Throughout the nation, Mexicans gathered for live music, fireworks and the famous grito, the battle cry of the Mexican war of independence.
What struck me the most was the great mood that everyone seemed to be in. Families, couples and singles of all ages got into the spirit by donning a variety of festive looks: face paints, gigantic moustaches, traditional costumes, revolutionary uniforms, and multi-colored curly wigs, strap-on mohawks and fake eyelashes in the shades of the Mexican flag. It was a night to experience the joyous Mexican spirit, and all of us wandering the streets — both Mexicans and foreigners — could feel the excitement in the air. (And don’t think that you’ve missed your opportunity to experience the fun — next year may not be the bicentennial, but it will still be a fun celebration, as always.) Happy Birthday, Mexico!
Check out the Mexico section here on LatinFlyer.com for more travel information about Mexico.
And for the latest travel ideas from around Latin America, visit LatinFlyerBlog.com: http://www.LatinFlyerBlog.com.

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