Dear silverstork-ga;
Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting question.
Hispanic cultures are traditionally matriarchal in nature so mothers
occupy a special place of honor every day of the year, but especially
on Mother?s Day. In the United States, Mother's Day is always
celebrated the second Sunday in May. In Mexico, Mother's Day (Día de
la Madre) always takes place on May 10, no matter what day of the week
it falls on.
The traditional Mexican celebration is a very important one indeed. In
fact, when the holiday falls on a weekday, mothers frequently take the
day off from work and children stay home from school. The holiday
often begins very when the mother is awakened with a serenade by her
children singing the traditional ?Mexican mañanitas? followed shortly
thereafter by presents, flowers and perhaps breakfast in bed. You can
hear one version of the ?Mexican mañanitas? here:
Las Mañanitas Mexicanas
http://www.platiquemos-letstalk.com/Monthly%20Features/canciondelmes/Lasmananitas/Lasma%C3%B1anitas.htm
Here is one description of the traditional Mother?s Day in Mexico
celebrated by an entire village. It is rural and quite fundamental in
nature but I?m sure you will agree a sincerely beautiful act of
affection:
A VILLAGE MOTHER'S DAY
http://www.chapala.com/particles/2n.html
It is common in Mexico for School children to invite their mothers to
plays, dances and recitals. Many stores, movie theatres and
supermarkets all give out little ?recuerdos?, or remembrances, to the
mothers who come in during the day. Churches also give out ?tamales?
and ?atole? to all the local moms to show their appreciation.
Día de las Madres: A Mother's Day Breakfast, Mexican Style
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgdiamadre.html
?Día de las Madres ? is enthusiastically celebrated on May 10th in
Mexico. It is always on May 10th regardless of the day of the week.
It is celebrated with leisurely lunches or dinners, and is essentially
a national holiday. Mothers are very important in Mexican culture,
and this day is very special in Mexico. Flowers are given in
abundance, and are placed at the graves of the departed Madres and
Abuelas. School children proudly perform plays, dances, and recitals
while shops & restaurants give out small gifts to mothers who visit
throughout the day. In many Mexican churches, an early morning recital
of Las Mañanitas is followed with the distribution of tamales and
atole to the local moms. Later in the morning, families may share in
an abundant brunch ? including an assortment of fresh seasonal fruit,
chilaquiles, eggs, and Café de Olla ? sweet cinnamon Coffee.?
MEXICO TRAVEL NET
http://www.mexicotravelnet.com/newsletter/may_2003.htm
In Panama, Spain and Portugal, Mother's Day is closely linked to the
church. Because mothers are held in such high regard, Mother?s Day is
celebrated on December 8th in conjunction with the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception (the traditional day of tribute to the Virgin
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ). Not only is the most Holy Mother in
their culture celebrated but also all mothers are celebrated at the
same time in the same manner as the mother of Jesus, usually with
services and local fiestas and dances.
Other Latin American countries celebrate Mother's Day at different
times. In Argentina for example the holiday is observed in October and
in the Dominican Republic, Mother's Day is always the last Sunday in
May. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, the important date falls on
August 15th. In Puerto Rico mothers are celebrated and adorned with
gifts and flowers, then treated to special dinners or events on May
11th.
BROKHAVEN BUCKHEAD FLOWERS
http://www.bbflowers.com/best_buy/mothers.htm
Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
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Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher
INFORMATION SOURCES
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MEXICO |
Clarification of Answer by
tutuzdad-ga
on
03 May 2004 16:16 PDT
As I mentioned above, in Puerto Rico mothers are celebrated and
adorned with gifts and flowers, then treated to special dinners or
events on May 11th. Here, being a US territory, the custom appears to
be much the same as it is in the US with cards, gifts, flowers and
generally honoring mothers on this special day of recognition.
I found very little about Mothers Day traditions in Cuba, presumably
since there is no advertising there and the event has become somewhat
of a commercial enterprise. I did find a diary entry from someone who
was there a couple of years ago and witnessed the holiday observance
first hand. It provides some very good insight into the Cuban
traditions:
MAY 12
?It's Mother's Day, El Dia de Los Madres, a very big day on the Cuban
social calendar. Mothers are feted at home. Special meals are made.
Families go to visit mothers. Restaurants have special events where
people who don't want to cook go. People dress up and make a big deal
of it.
The Cuban postal service has issued a special series of postcards with
floral designs and poetry about motherhood. Lots of warm sentiment is
in the air. Young children find ways to salute their moms, hitting up
other relatives for help at the last minute to purchase even very
small gifts.
Driving around the city one sees people carrying large covered plates,
bringing food to gatherings of their families. Younger mothers go to
the homes of THEIR mothers and grandmothers. People are in a festive
mood today. The weather continues to be hot, but cools off in the
afternoon. Those who don't have children, such as the retired nurse
with whom I'm staying, and her cousin who is visiting from faraway
Sancti Spritus province, go out to eat at a restaurant which is having
a Mother's Day dinner. They're dressed up very colorfully.
Of course, this is Cuba, so there's no advertising. No sales in
stores. No commercials on television telling you where to go for the
special Mother's Day sales on whatever it is you might not want or
need or even think about. Aside from places like restaurants, it seems
Mother's day has no commercial significance here in Havana.?
WALTER LIPPMAN
http://www.walterlippmann.com/visitors-notes-may-2002.html
As for the US Latin-American Community it seems that each culture
incorporates their own native traditions into the American holiday
where families are culturally traditional. In other words, in Miami
presumably the Cuban-American community observes in their own
traditional way mixed with American traditions while in Texas the
Mexican-Americans do the same. I found no references to any traditions
unusual to these cultures that have taken root in American which have
become readily identified as US Latino customs with regard to Mothers
Day.
I hope this adds significantly to what has already been discussed.
Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga
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