The night before, on 15 September, the President of Mexico steps onto a balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City. They ring an old bell and shout out the names of national heroes from a famous speech called 'El Grito' - 'The Shout'. The huge crowd in the square below shouts back '¡Viva México!' after every name.
Across the country, every town and city does its own version of El Grito. Even small villages have a mayor on a balcony, a crowd in the square, and a big bell to ring. Children stay up late, the streets fill with stalls selling tacos and elotes (grilled corn), and bands play until midnight.
Houses, schools and shops are decorated in the three colours of the Mexican flag: green for hope, white for peace, and red for friendship. People wear green-white-and-red ribbons, painted faces, paper flowers in their hair, and giant hats called sombreros.
Independence Day food is its own kind of party. Families cook a special dish called chiles en nogada - stuffed peppers in a creamy white sauce sprinkled with red pomegranate seeds. The three colours - green pepper, white sauce, red seeds - are exactly the colours of the flag.