Happy Mother’s Day in Spanish—The Traditions and Customs
May 10, 2009
"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.”
~Marion C. Garretty
Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there! This is one of those rare and special times when we share Mother's Day with Mexico! (It's always May 10 here).
This is a very special day in Mexico and it’s celebrated in colorful fashion. Children honor their mothers and thank them for their efforts in bringing them up and according to a custom in Mexico, “sons and daughters make themselves present in the house on the eve of Mothers Day on May 9.” Mexicans are very sentimental and as a rule, even today, the mother is the matriarch of the home regardless of her age. And, there are flowers for sale everywhere. And, if they can’t afford to buy them, there are beautiful wild flowers that mothers will appreciate even more!
The day is usually celebrated with gusto and some churches in Mexico organize a special mass. The highpoint of the event is the orchestra which plays “las mañanitas” and distribution of ‘tamales’ and ‘atole,’ the traditional early-morning meal to all local mothers.
Bill was awakened at 5:00 this morning by a band. Around 9:00 a.m., they were right outside our gate playing for a mother whose daughter (the daughter is around our age!) arranged it. They played several tunes for the neighborhood and then went down to the Ixtlahuacan Plaza where we heard the band and firerockets for several minutes. It is a very special day in Mexico, and I love to be a part of it all.
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In his Mother's Day proclamation, President Barack Obama wrote, “Mothers are the bedrock of the American family—vital to their children's growth and happiness and to the success of our country…Mothers are role models, teachers, and sources of unconditional support. There is no substitute for the bond of love between mother and child, and nothing is more worthy of reverence.”
And, did you know that the founder of this special day was very specific about the spelling of the holiday. It was to be Mother's Day, singular and possessive. The idea was to recognize the maternal leader of each family, not just mothers in general.
Mother's Day has become a world-wide celebration. No matter the gift, the message is the same, "Thanks, Mom. We love you."
My friend and co-worker Tere shared a story of what Mother’s Day means to her and I hope it’s okay with her for me to share it with you:
“For the first Mother's day in my life, I had the Mañanitas played outside of my house, because, yes, those trucks that make so much noise promoting their product with loud speakers, can also be used sometimes to play Las Mañanitas all over the town for Mother's Day.
To me, as I haven’t had a Mother since I turned 5, Mother's Day was always a very dramatic day for me, assisting to mass and performing a festival to the mothers of my friends who would always congratulate me and pamper me on Mother's Day.
But since I had my daughter Andrea, who is my gift from Heaven, Mother's Day became "the Day" of the year, one of my favorites. I loved to see my daughter performing dances in the Mother's Day Festivals when she was a little girl. Last year, Andrea finally made it to my town after learning about buses and ways of transportation, at 4 pm, tired and with a dead flower in her hands. Today, a year after, she is on her way now, and I am sure we will enjoy a great Mother's Day together, cause she is my greatest gift of all. I love Mother's Day, and I always thank Mother Marie for protecting me and my daughter as a loving mother.
In a way, I always had lots of Mothers, as my friend's mothers always looked after me.
I also remember the times my brother and I fixed breakfast in bed for our mother, and celebrated her special day until her death in 1992. I still miss her and "talk" to her almost every day. I’ve also been very close to my step-mother, and felt especially appreciative of being able to call Margie today and wish her a Happy Mother’s Day.
PLUS...I got two special calls today. One from one of my nieces that I’m very close to, Angie. She said, “Happy Mother's Day, Mommy #2. I love you and miss you.” I miss you too, my love.
And, our dear Ana called to wish me a happy mother’s day too, which touched my heart in ways I cannot even begin to explain. I was also able to wish her mother Cristina a great day too…what a special family they are…I love them all! I am very blessed with the family and friends I have, and, so, before I get too weepy, I’ll just say…Happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere and to all women who mentor and influence the lives of others in a positive way!
Take a few minutes to wish that special mom in your life a wonderful day – qué tengas buen Día de la Madre.