It is an interesting comment on Mexican culture that there is no Father’s Day celebrated in Mexico, Mothers being the focus of most households.

There are many ways to make Mom feel special on this day and one of the greatest is time spent with her family. Take Mom out to a lovely lunch or dinner on her special day or cook for her at home.

Younger children could clean up their rooms, a foreign concept I realize for most teenagers.

Flowers are always a nice gift as is perfume, a new pretty nightgown, scarf or blouse. A good bottle of wine is a lovely gift as well.

Taking Mom out for a drive or to a movie would also be greatly appreciated and anything you made her with your own two hands would be very well received.

When we first came to Ajijic, LakeChapala in 1994 Mother’s Day in Mexico was a very big deal. We would be invited to the school where the kids would put on a wonderful talent show for us complete with poems written to honor Mom and homemade refreshments were served. Special cards and presents were made and given and there was seldom a dry eye in the house. A splendid event, if you ask me.

At church Mother’s are also honored and asked to stand and be recognized. Recognition ceremonies are always popular and make the honoree feel very special indeed.

A special card is always gratefully received and is something that can be treasured for years to come. Telling Mom how important she is and what she means in your life will always bring a smile to her face.

Some of us are not with our Mothers for Mother’s Day, so Ecards can be sent online and also flowers can be ordered online and delivered anywhere in the world. I sent flowers online with FTD for my sister’s birthday in March and she was thrilled. Other gift suggestions are also available online for every budget.

Those of us, who no longer have our Mothers with us on earth, can say a special prayer for them and thank them for everything they did for us and for their unconditional love and support always. It is nice to add how much you love them and miss them everyday, if hopefully, this is the case.

Phone calls, now anywhere in the world are extremely inexpensive with Skype or Vonage and hearing from your children on Mother’s Day is a wonderful treat. With the addition of a webcam Mom can also see your beautiful faces.

There are many ways to honor Mom and show her how much you love her but if you are lucky enough to be in the same place the time spent with you will mean the most.

This year my husband is going to Toronto and along with one of his brothers from North Carolina so all her five children can be with her on Mother’s Day. This is going to be a surprise and I am sure she will be delighted that her boys traveled so far just to let her know how much they love her and how much she means to them.

So whatever you choose to do to show your Mom how special she is it will be appreciated. Don’t forget your Mom thinks you are the most wonderful, talented, smart, funny and unique person in the world. Show her that her confidence in your in not misplaced.

St. Patrick's Day

I have a special affinity for St. Patrick’s day as I am part Irish (Scottish and English make up the other parts) and also my mother’s father, my mother and my sister and my aunt were all born on March17th.

New York City hosted the first St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17th, l762 featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English military. The parade has become an annual event with President Harry S. Truman attending his very own self in 1948.

Congress has proclaimed March as Irish-American Heritage Month in 1995 and the sitting president issues a proclamation each year.

Now for a little history lesson. Naomh Padraig (c 387-17 March 493) was a Romanized Celt and Christian Missionary who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland.

When he was about 16 he was captured from Britain by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the church, he returned to Ireland as an ordained bishop in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and there is no evidence of any link between Patrick and any known church building.

By he eighth century he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish Monastery system evolved after the time of Patrick and the Irish church did not develop the diocesan model that Patrick and the other early missionaries had tried to establish.

St Patrick’s Day (March 17th) is celebrated both in and outside of Ireland, as both a liturgical and non-liturgical holiday. In the dioceses of Ireland it is both a solemnity and a holy day of obligation and outside of Ireland, it can be a celebration of Ireland itself.

St. Patrick is also credited with banishing snakes from the island and although evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes the supposition is the snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place.

Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3 leafed-clover, using it highlight the Christian belief of three divine persons in the one God (as opposed to the Ariian belief that was popular in Patrick’s time.

Having digested all that the main thing that seems to be celebrated on St. Patrick’s Day is drinking green beer, listening to Irish music and a general feeling of good will towards all men and, of course, women.

On St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish and many restaurants and bars have a special celebration of this day which to most Irish is bigger than Christmas.

Chili Bang Bar is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party and I am sure many other restaurants and bars right here in our own Ajijic, Lake Chapala will not let this special day go unmarked.

For me it is a poignant reminder of my beautiful mother who was extremely proud to share her birthday with her father and daughter and every Irish person in the world.

A Slice of Paradise

I totally related to this as it took 10 years for my husband to talk me into making the move from Toronto 15 years ago.

As I have often said, I wish he had found the right words sooner as I have enjoyed every minute of every day since arriving in 1994.

This is not uncommon as many couples are not always on the same page as one party or the other is dragging their feet.

There are many reasons for this. Fear of the unknown is at the top of the list along with fear of language challenges.

Also leaving family, children and grandchildren, aging parents, homes lived in for many years and familiar surroundings give many pause.

I understand and have experienced all of these doubts along with the worry of raising our children (then 10 and 12) here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

Two things finally pushed me into agreeing with my husband to make the move. First was the coldest winter in Canada for over 50 years and second, the huge increase in our real estate taxes we were about to face.

It was my husband’s mother who put to rest of my fears about my children by telling me at he very least we were giving the kids the gift of another language.

This made a lot of sense to me as they were both in French immersion in Toronto so 3 languages seemed better than 2.

If you ask our children today they will tell you our moving to Mexico was the best thing that ever happened to them They both feel that many more horizons and opportunities have been opened to them.

As far as leaving family you will soon find they are more than happy to visit especially when the temperatures start to drop up north.

The new friends (in many cases like-minded as Mexico is not for everyone) that you will make will give you great joy and comfort. Your new friends will become your family away from home and you will spend holidays and birthdays with them and, of course, including your friends and family from home should they visit from up north.

So if you or your better half or three quarters are sitting on the fence about retiring or moving to Mexico sit no more. Jump in. The water is so much more than fine and better than you can possibly conceive of.

Also if one wishes to continue to work, the infrastructure is such in Ajijic, Lake Chapala that it affords you every opportunity of doing so.

Ajijic, Lake Chapala is a wonderful warm community full of happy people. The main reason for this,of course, is the unhappy ones go home leaving the rest of us to happily enjoy paradise.

Giving Back

When I first arrived here I wanted to buy a turkey for my wonderful Viki (the girl who has helped me in our house since we have been here) and her family.

A friend of mine told me that she may not have an oven big enough to accommodate a turkey so she suggested that I buy her a smoked turkey which is fully cooked and ready to serve. I have adopted this tradition and every year in addition to their holiday pay and Christmas bonuses I purchase a smoked turkey for my Viki and our gardener along with some nice Tequila filled chocolates.

I also give a regalito (life gift) of cash to our pool man, dog walker and his family and the garbage truck boys.

There are other things that can also be done to show our appreciation to the community.

A donation to the Red Cross is always very needed and welcome. The Red Cross provides a wonderful and necessary service and are always underfunded.

You can make a donation to any of our churches with complete confidence that your donation will be put to the best use for those in need.

Another tradition that has been adopted by our, now grown, children is baskets for the local orphanages and retirements homes. The things most needed are flour, oil, rice, beans, coffee, sugar, cookies, chocolates, canned goods, peanut butter, and any other dried goods you think would be useful.

They deliver these baskets personally which are always greatly appreciated.

The blind man, usually outside Superlake, is now caring for his puppy and needs help feeding his new friend who is great company for him. He loves getting puppy kibble and cans and dog treats and I usually buy him some bolillos (local home-made rolls) and a drink this is, of course, in addition to a cash donation for whatever else he might need.

Also the biggest little man in town with no legs supports his family on what he makes by sitting outside Superlake or El Torito daily. He is very bright and friendly and is a pleasure to talk with. He always asks God to bless you when you make a donation to him.

There are many other things that can be done to help give back to our community and I have just given you a few suggestions to participate in the true meaning of Christmas. You will be very glad you did.

Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo a todos!

Christmas in Ajijic, Mexico

The word posada means inn or shelter in Spanish and the posadas are usually a recreation of Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem.

The posadas take place for the 9 nights leading up to Christmas from December 16th-24th.
These 9 nights are meant to represent the 9 months Mary carried Jesus in her womb or, alternatively, the 9 days journey to reach Bethlehem.

Neighborhoods across Mexico hold these posadas and they are also becoming popular in the United States.

Usually, there is a procession with candles and sometimes with people playing the parts of Mary and Joseph (here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala they arrive on the backs of burros) and sometimes these images are carried.

The procession will go to a particular home or business (a different one every night) where a special song is sung.

This song is called La Peticion de Posada and those outside sing the part of Joseph asking for shelter and the people inside, singing the part of the innkeeper, saying there is no room.

The song goes back an forth a few times and, finally, the innkeeper decides to let them come inside.

These celebrations can vary from a formal party to a casual gathering of friends.

There is sometimes a Bible reading and a short prayer. Then the hosts provide food, often tamales, and other types of Mexican cuisine and the traditional hot drinks of the season such as ponche (hot punch), canela con rompope ( a cinnamon drink with the Mexican equivalent of eggnog) and atole which is a corn drink very smooth and delicious are served. Chocolate atole is called champurrado, fruit atole is usually made with pineapple or strawberries and atole con pinons is made with crushed pine nuts.

There will be piñatas which are brightly colored large Mexican ornaments filled with candy and each takes their turn trying to smash it open with a stick and happily gather up the candy and treats that rain upon them if successful.

As I mentioned there are many different types of posadas but if you are lucky enough to be invited to one I am sure you will enjoy yourself. Other than the opening song there will also be music of all types, dancing and the warmth of Naviidad will fill your heart.

Revolution Day in Mexico

Overt time the Revolution changed from a revolt against the establishment to a multi-sided civil war. After prolonged struggles, its representatives produced the Mexican Constitution of 1917.

The Revolution is generally considered to have lasted until 1920, although the country continued to have sporadic but comparatively minor outbreaks of warfare well into the 1920’s.

The Cristero War was the most significant relapse of bloodshed. The Revolution triggered the creation of the National Revolutionary Party in 1929 (renamed the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI in 1946). Under a variety of leaders the PRI held power until the general election of 2000.

Fiestas and celebrations are held throughout Mexico to mark this historic day.

What I remember the most is watching our children march in various parades to mark El Dia de la Revolucion. They were smartly dressed in their school uniforms and practiced marching for weeks before the big day. Every year we would drive to Chapala (making sure we parked our car this side of Chapala so we were able to leave after the parade) and enjoyed watching the school children march in the parade complete with bands and acrobatic feats.

For decades myths portrayed women as passive beings who contributed minimally to the Mexican Revolution. Women were, in fact, active participants in the Mexican Revolution and their involvement had an immense impact on shaping Mexican policy. They were involved in politics, created revolutionary newspapers, worked as teachers, nurses, they sold/smuggled arms and they even fought on the battle field.

Some of the most famous female participants in the Revolution were called Soldaderas or female fighters. It is no wonder that women, in many ways, run the Mexican society and are, indeed, the head of the households. An early Women’s Lib movement, if you will.

Las Fiestas de Ajijic

A town’s saint’s fiesta is usually the biggest, longest and liveliest of the year and the Fiestas de San Andres are no exception.

They are held the last 9 days of November and every night is sponsored by a local business or association and every night is different. There is the common denominator of the Castillo (tower of fireworks) which graces every night.

I will first describe the night that Le Nueva Posada sponsors as it is the one I have participated in every year for the last 15 years but the other nights have a similar format.

We all meet at Seis Equinas (Six Corners at the far west of Ajijic) and everyone mills around waiting for the bands and Indian dancers to arrive and, of course, the arrival of the priest. Large paper flowers are fashioned around candles and a parade to the church on the plaza commences with the owners, employees and friends of La Nueva Posada marching to the church.

There are baskets of food, wine, flowers, bread and other offerings for the church and people come out of their houses to watch the procession. The bands play and the dancers dance and the brightly lit flower/candles held high all contribute to a wonderful and colorful spectacle which is quite moving.

On reaching the church the flower/candles are collecting before entering the church and a special mass honoring the Eagers (owners of La Nueva Posada) takes place thanking them for employing so many staff and their families.

After a very beautiful mass, where all are welcome, everyone streams out of the the church into the plaza to enjoy a variety of activities where there is something for everyone.

There are rides and games for the children, stalls selling all kinds of clothes, house wares, toys, music etc. and food of every kind is also available.

The traditional drink of the Fiestas is Canela con Rompope which is a cinnamon flavored hot drink with the addition of a shot of Mexico’s answer to eggnog. It is absolutely delicious and very warming as the nights can be cool this time of year.

One of the favorite games of the children is hollow eggs are sold filled with confetti which are cracked over someone’s head bringing peals of happy laughter.

It is very much a family affair and people walk around the gazebo in the middle of the plaza greeting old friends and making new ones. There is a marvelous tradition where people walk in opposite directions around the gazebo. The object of this is to see if someone of the opposite sex catches your fancy. If someone does catch your fancy, as it were, a rose is passed to express said interest. Everyone goes to the Fiestas for the food, music and, of course, the greatly anticipated Castillo which usually is lit around 10:00 pm.

There are tasty tacos available along with quite a famous hotdog which is sold across from the bank. All manner of candy is for sale as well as many toys and flowers for the kids.

The Fiestas de San Andres (sometimes called the Fiestas de Noviembre) are very beautiful and highly anticipated by the locals and ex-pats alike. As they are right in the heart of the village of Ajijic some ex-pats choose this time for a little trip as they are quite noisy with fireworks, music, and laughter.

I think you will thoroughly enjoy the sights, smells and camaraderie that the Fiestas offer giving the ex-pats the opportnity to mingle with and learn more about our warm and gracious Mexican hosts.

Day of the Dead in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico

Back in my day my mother always made my Halloween costumes and I remember my favorite being an Egyptian Princess ensemble complete with billowing pants, a halter top and a jaunty hat with yards of material flowing down. I was thrilled.

As we were working parents we chose to buy the costumes for our children but always bought the make-up and my husband expertly applied it to our little ghosts or goblins.

Once the costume was donned and the appropriate make-u applied the tears would always come as our little ones had to wear coats over their masterpieces. Some years we managed to get the costumes on over the coats but this seldom worked to anyone’s satisfaction. You have to remember we were in Toronto, Canada and it was cold at the end of October.

Then came the actual trick or treating going up and down neighboring streets ringing the bell and demanding candy. For several years our kids carried UNISEF cans for people to make donations to this very worthwhile cause of helping children throughout the world.

When everyone was ready to drop we would gladly trudge home and carefully go through the loot obtained. The kids, of course, wanted to devour everything forthwith and it was always a struggle to dispense the candy and goodies over a period of time to avoid poisoning or excessive vomiting.

If handled properly we could make the candy last until Christmas season began with all of the festive chocolates in gay profusion.

When we were first here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala there was no real Halloween as it were.

There was the Day of the Dead on Nov. 2 which is a wonderful celebration of ones departed loved ones but no Halloween to speak of.

It was not very long after, however, that the Mexican kids got word of this splendid occasion where people gave you candy just for showing up at their door and they soon were all over Halloween.

Also when we first came to Ajijic, Lake Chapala, pumpkins were very hard to find and one usually had to go to Guadalajara to purchase one to be carved into the macabre smiles welcoming the little ones to your door. Our kids still laugh when they remember ordering a pumpkin at a local flower shop in Ajijic and when they went to pick it up it was as small green affair, a pumpkin – yes, but no bigger than a grapefruit.

Today Superlake already has a large selection of pumpkins available.

Many of the local stores in the village have wonderful candy and treats at a very reasonable price and Walmart has an extensive selection of costumes for all ages.

So fill the candy bowls and wait for the kids to come on Oct. 31. Unlike Canada, however, they arrive early afternoon rather than after dark. One thing to watch out for is the wily teenagers who come to your door more than once without the benefit of costume.
Bless their hearts.

Instead of shouting “Trick or Treat?” the Mexican children will yell “Quiero Halloween” which translates into “I want Halloween” which they do indeed now have.