For Mexican families and new visitors to the country alike, Mexican Revolution Day or Día de la Revolución is a unique holiday full of remembrance, honor, and history. Each year, we honor the anniversary of Mexico’s revolution on November 20th with reflections, family time, and community events like parades and festivals. 

Like many Mexican holidays, Mexican Revolution Day is packed with cultural and historical significance. Today, the MexiCrate team is looking back on our own fond memories of this holiday in Mexico, and sharing our favorite ways to celebrate with our families.

Why do we celebrate Mexican Revolution Day on November 20th? 

You might be wondering — what is the history of Mexican Revolution Day? Why do we celebrate Mexico’s Revolution Day on November 20th? And where did Día de la Revolución start? 

Mexico’s revolution is a well-celebrated holiday. We hold Mexican Independence Day on September 16th — the Mexican holiday you may know well for its fireworks, festivals, and television specials — but Mexican Revolution Day marks the beginning of a ten-year struggle for Mexico’s independence from dictatorial rule. On November 20th, 1910, Francisco I. Madero called Mexican revolutionaries to arms to unseat Porfirio Diaz, the dictator who claimed a harsh rule over Mexico for thirty years. 

Today, Mexican Revolution Day is celebrated on the third Monday of November (usually around the 20th) as a bank holiday, a no-school day, and a chance for families to gather together. 

What can I do to celebrate Mexican Revolution Day?

Compared to Mexico’s Independence Day, Día de la Revolución is a calmer celebration that focuses on history and tradition. Many members of the MexiCrate team — and probably a lot of our readers! — have fond memories of cooking traditional dishes like tostadas and pozole after a fun-filled day at the neighborhood cultural festival.

There are a lot of ways to celebrate Mexican Revolution Day. Some of the most popular ways to celebrate Día de la Revolución include: 

• Historic festivals, where community members dress up in Revolution-era costumes and reenact historic moments. 
• Singing and music, with many songs inspired by Revolutionary heroes. If people don’t sing, you can still hear shouts of “Viva la Revolución!” or “Viva Mexico!” around the neighborhood. 
• Parades or public performances in traditional Mexican garb.
• Neighborhood get-togethers like farmers’ markets, craft bazaars, and costume contests.  
• And of course, food! Mexican flag cookies, traditional Mexican candies, and classic Mexican recipes passed down through generations are all part of the festivities. 

What are the best Mexican Revolution Day foods and Mexican Revolution Day recipes?

Finally, we get to talk about the food! If you know one thing about the MexiCrate team, it’s that we LOVE traditional Mexican food. Most Día de la Revolución dinner tables include delectable dishes like tostadas, fajitas, enchiladas, and tacos. It’s common for many generations to prepare the meal together, with younger kids given classic Mexican candies to trade and enjoy (and, let’s be honest, to keep them out of the way). 

Among our team, we have fond memories of classic dishes like pozole rojo paired with margaritas (for the grown-ups), Mexican soda (for the kids), and dulce de leche for dessert. We can’t forget the classic tastes of Mexico, like tamarindo, chamoy, and sweet chili, the scents of which filled the air at our family events. Finally, we’d gather to watch a neighborhood parade, fireworks, or a special television segment on the history of Día de la Revolución. 

No matter how our Mexican Revolution Day festivities played out, one thing was for sure: Día de la Revolución made us proud to be Mexican! 

However you choose to celebrate this day of remembrance this year, we hope you bring MexiCrate candies along with you. There’s no greater power than nostalgia — and we love showing our appreciation for our families and our ancestors in every way we can. We encourage you to take time with your loved ones during Mexican Revolution Day, and let the appreciation and the memories flow! 

For the best nostalgic Mexican seasonings and sauces, your favorite childhood Mexican candies, and custom boxes that will introduce you to Mexico’s candy culture, check out our dulceria or our monthly subscription boxes. From the MexiCrate family to yours, we wish you a happy Mexican Revolution Day on November 20th!