Fiestas Patrias - Definition and Overview

Fiestas Patrias is a Spanish phrase meaning "National Holidays".

Mexico

Mexico's fiestas patrias originated in the 19th century. They are observed today as public holidays.

In chronological order:

• Día de la Constitución commemorates the Constitution of 1917, promulgated after the Mexican Civil War on February 5.

• Natalicio de Benito Juárez commemorates President Benito Juárez's birthday on March 21, 1804. Juárez is popularily regarded as an exemplary politician due to his liberal policies that, among other things, defined the traditionally strict separation of the church and the Mexican state.

• Día del Trabajo (Labor Day) commemorates the Mexican workers' union movements on May 1 — specifically, the 1906 Cananea, Sonora, and the 1907 Río Blanco, Veracruz, labor unrest and repression.

• Cinco de mayo commemorates General Ignacio Zaragoza's victory on May 5, 1862, over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla.

• Dieciséis de septiembre commemorates Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla's Grito de Dolores — "cry of Dolores"; "Dolores" also means "sorrow", and it comes from the Virgin of Dolores, the village's patron — on September 16, 1810, in the village of Dolores, near Guanajuato. Hidalgo called for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico. On September 16, 1825, the Republic of Mexico officially declared Diecisés de septiembre its national Independence Day.

• Día de la Revolución commemorates the Mexican Revolution which started on November 20, 1910 when Francisco I. Madero planned an uprising against dictator Porfirio Díaz's three-decade-long iron rule.

Contrary to popular wisdom (particularly as manifested in the United States), Cinco de mayo is not the most important national holiday in Mexico. That distinction is reserved for Dieciséis de septiembre, which is celebrated from the eve of September 15 with a re-creation of the Grito de Dolores by all executive office-holders (from the President of the Republic down to municipal mayors) and lasts through the night. In contrast, Cinco de mayo is observed as a notable date, but it is not considered more or less important than the other holidays excepting Dieciséis de septiembre.

Chile

In Chile, the name fiestas patrias is reserved for the holidays of September 18 (dieciocho de septiembre, or simply el dieciocho), Independence day and September 19, Glories of the Army.