One would think that Mexicans are always in a celebratory mood with the number of festivals they have each year. A couple of Mexican festivals have been taken to be celebrated in various parts of the United States, and these are the Cinco de Mayo and the Aniversario de la Independencia or the Mexican Independence day. No, these aren't one and the same, but it's a common for non-Mexicans to mistake one for the other.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated by Mexicans, as the name says, on the 5th of May, commemorating a phenomenal military victory over their French occupants. But because it is being celebrated on a large scale, the holiday has been adopted by Latinos, Chicanos and other communities of Mexican origin as an opportunity for unity and patriotism and to celebrate the richness of their roots and their culture.

Aniversario de la Independencia, on the other hand, is more widely celebrated as the bigger festival in Mexico. A merry atmosphere sets in on the first day of September, with a Mexico flag put up on every visible structure, plus flowers and lights in its colors of red, white and green. The actual festivities are set to happen the eve of the Independence Day which is on the 16th of September, signifying the date when the Mexicans were finally called to fight for their independence from Spain. On September 15, all the people gather at the Zócalo, or the main plaza, to witness the ringing of the same bell that was used to call them to revolt. This is done by the President of Mexico, after which he addresses the public with the Grito de Dolores, which was the very battle cry recited on that historic day. This is then followed by the singing of their national anthem.

The more famous festivals are these two, and the intriguing El Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. El Dia de los Muertos, which is set on November 1 and 2, is an opportunity for Mexicans to celebrate both life and death, to honor the spirit of their family members who have passed away. The celebrations more festive than melancholy; they head over to the cemeteries to play music and bring fresh flowers and food to the graves of their loved ones. Altars are commonly built by many families in their homes to signify their continuing presence in the household, and these are usually covered with offerings of food and other items and with other religious decorations.

Some other local and national festivals in Mexico throughout the year include: the Los Lunes del Cerro (Mondays on the Hill), Dia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe), Las Posadas (The Shelter) - all of which mark various traditions and indicators of triumph in their history, and which continue to make Mexicans proud of their culture and heritage.