Día de Independencia (Independence Day)

The next one in the 8 most famous festivals in El Salvador that Toplist would like to introduce to you is Independence Day. This is El Salvador's National Day, which is always celebrated on September 15th. It commemorates the Central American provinces' independence from Spanish rule in 1821.

In 1522, the Spanish Admiral Andrés Niño led an expedition to Central America. At the mouth of the Lempa River, he discovered Jiquilisco Bay. This was the first documented European visit to what is now Salvadoran territory. Several years later, Spanish Conquistadors led by Pedro de Alvarado and his brother Gonzalo arrived in what is now El Salvador. They were disappointed to discover that the area was not rich in gold, but they did notice the high quality of its soil. The indigenous people resisted the Spanish with vigour, and it wasn't until 1525 that the area was finally taken over by the Spaniards.

El Salvador became a province of the Kingdom of Guatemala in 1609, along with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, El Salvador and Guatemala, and the Mexican state of Chiapas. Spain had been weakened by its involvement in Europe's Peninsular War, and local juntas had been formed in response to local Spanish revolts against the rule of King Joseph, Napoleon's brother who had been installed as ruler of Spain by the French.

This desire for self-rule was palpable in El Salvador. In El Salvador, the 1811 Independence Movement became known as the Primer Grito de Independencia (the First shout of Independence). The Province of Guatemala declared Central America's Act of Independence on September 15, 1821. Following independence, and despite El Salvador's opposition, the regions became part of the Mexican Empire until 1823, when they ceded to form the Federal Republic of Central America.

Independence Day parades in El Salvador are traditionally led by a procession of cars decorated with flags from the other four Central American countries that also commemorate this historic anniversary in a show of solidarity with the nations that share its Centro Americana identity.

Salvadoran student bands practice for months in advance for these grand parades, and on the day of celebration, families prepare pupusas—hand-made corn tortillas filled with local ingredients and topped with tomato sauce and cabbage salad.

Address: El Salvador

Takes place: September 15