That time of year is in full swing. The end of October brought All Hallows Day,
quickly followed by Christmas and New Years.
The holidays in Puerto Vallarta and throughout Mexico are similar to
those in the great Northland with maybe a touch more religious emphasis.
Halloween (October 31st) means All
Hallows Eve, November 1st is All Hallows’ Day, and
November 2nd is the Day of the Dead (All Souls’ Day). Mexican trick-or-treaters, however, do not
shout “trick-or-treat,” which is difficult to pronounce in Spanish. Instead,
they chant queremos Halloween (we
want Halloween).
Christmas here is a celebration
of the Life of Our Savior. The
children's celebration of receiving presents is not until January 6th, "el
día de Reyes", the day of the Kings, or the Wise Men Day. It is the Magi
who brought the presents to the Baby Jesus, thus, they bring the toys to the
boys and girls who have been good. Still we have Christmas trees with lights,
Santa Claus and lots of shopping opportunities and at 12:00 AM Christmas Day
the local niño’s gather in the street, laughing, running, blowing party
whistles, and exploding fireworks getting ready for Piñata time. This can and does continue for an hour +, depending on the
number of children and the supply of Piñatas and the candy/goodies contained
within (this year the children quit at 3:30 AM and the adults somewhat later).
New Year’s Eve (Fiesta de Fin de Año)
is a festive occasion for millions of people in Mexico, as it is a time to say
good bye to the year ending and to welcome the New Year.
There are many superstitious activities that people do for fun. It is believed
that dressing in certain colors will bring positivity: white for
spiritual goodness; green for good health; red for love; and yellow for wealth.
One midnight tradition is to throw a bucket of water out the window for renewal
in the New Year. Mexican families
decorate homes and parties during New Year’s with colors such as yellow to
encourage improved employment conditions, green to improve financial
circumstances and white to improve health.
Mexicans eat a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the bell during
the New Year countdown while making a wish with each one.
If you haven´t received a holiday card from us in
the mail it´s because we don´t have a reliable postal system. That coupled with 12 mailmen city wide, without
identity (uniforms, etc.) walking or on motorcycle, encourages us to resort to
email for cards and letters. If you mailed
a card by December 15th to us, be assured I´ll be checking our mailbox around
February 25, 2015.
The year 2014 was/is a wonderful year for Dolores
and I. We continue with good health, had
the best season yet for Dolores Essence of Cuisine Cooking School, met many new
acquaintances, added wonderful new friends, visited with family, both in Puerto
Vallarta and stateside, and continued our involvement with the local niño´s and
neighbors. Some wags say that growing
older is not for sissies, we believe it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn and
continue growing. We wish you similar
wonders.
¡Próspero Año Nuevo!
