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HOLIDAYS, CELEBRATIONS, & CULTURE IN THE SPANISH SPEAKING WORLD

Holidays in the United States
What are three holidays celebrated in the United States?
What is their importance or significance? What values or beliefs do the holidays reflect?

Holiday Importance/Significance

Holidays & Celebrations in the Spanish Speaking World

Read the articles in the attached handout and answer the following questions in complete sentences!

Cinco de Mayo (May 5th)

1. What does Cinco de Mayo celebrate? Why is it observed on this date?

2. What is the common misconception about Cinco de Mayo? Why do you think this exists?

3. Why did France invade Mexico?

4. What happened at the Batalla de Puebla?

5. Is Cinco de Mayo more popular in the United States or in Mexico? Why?

6. What is the significance of Cinco de Mayo? What does it represent or symbolize?

El Dia Nacional Puertorriqueno (National Puerto Rican)

1. What is the importance/significance of this holiday?

2. What famous celebrities have attended the parade for National Puerto Rican Day?

3. When is Puerto Rican Week? Who proclaimed this holiday?

El Dia de la Independencia Mexicana (Mexican Independence Day)
1. When did Mexico first proclaim its independence from Spain?

2. What does this holiday actually celebrate?

3. When did Mexico finally gain independence from Spain?

Desfile de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Day Parade)

1. When did the Hispanic Day Parade start?

2. What is the significance of the timing of the parade?

El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

1. What are the main differences between El Dia de los Muertos and Halloween?

2. From what culture or civilization does this holiday originate?

3. What are some of the customs or traditions associated with this holiday? (Name at least 3!)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Discuss some common elements of Mexican holidays. What did you learn about Mexican culture and holidays?

If you could be in Mexico to celebrate one of the holidays, which one would you choose? Why?

Choose one of the holidays and compare it with a holiday celebrated in the United States. How are the two alike?
How are they different? (You may draw a Venn Diagram to organize your thoughts)

HOLIDAY SPOTLIGHT
Choose one holiday from the Spanish-speaking world that you learned about and answer the following questions
in complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper:
• What is the name of the holiday? (Give the Spanish name and the English translation.)
• When is this holiday celebrated?
• Who celebrates this holiday?
• Why does this group celebrate this day?
• What beliefs or values does this holiday reflect?
• How is it celebrated? (Focus on one activity or custom associated with this holiday, such as rituals, food,
costumes, dance, music, or images.)
• Where is this holiday celebrated (in specific regions or across the country)?
 CINCO DE MAYO
Origins of Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's independence, but it is not Mexican
Independence Day. Mexico asserted its independence from Spain on September 16,
1810. The festivities on May 5 are about another battle for independence -- a battle fought
against the French in 1862.

After the 1846 Mexican-American War, in which boundaries were clarified after Texas
became the 28th U.S. state, Mexico entered a period of political and financial hardship. The
Mexican Civil War lasted from 1858 to 1861 and left Mexico without a stable support
structure. Due to its poor economy, Mexico borrowed a great deal of money from other
countries. Among those countries were England, Spain and France. In 1862, all three
European powers came to collect their money. Their navies arrived in Mexico to demand
payment and land to settle the debts, but Mexico offered vouchers instead, essentially
asking for more time. England and Spain accepted and went home; France invaded,
seeking total control of Mexico.

Under Napoleon III, French troops began at the shore and tried to make their way to
Mexico City. Before they could get to the capital, they were stopped at the state of Puebla,
where a major battle took place on May 5, 1862: La Batalla de Puebla. Outnumbered and
outarmed, the Mexican soldiers at Puebla, under the command of General Ignacio
Zaragoza Seguin, managed to defeat the French forces. Ultimately, the Mexican victory at
Puebla only delayed the French invasion of Mexico city, and a year later, the French
occupied Mexico. But the Mexican men who fought at Puebla nonetheless defied the odds
to defend its independence. Cinco de Mayo is a time to recognize the bravery of those
who fight against oppression. Cinco de Mayo celebrates that bravery and
determination, and commemorates Mexico's fight to ward off imperialist forces.

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s
unlikely triumph occurred. In the United States, however, it has taken on significance—
and major commercial value—as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage,
particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations. Revelers mark
the holiday with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional
foods such as tacos and mole poblano. In towns throughout Mexico, the fiesta includes
Mexican food, such as Mole Poblano, Mexican music, including mariachi bands, parades,
piñatas for the kids and fireworks at the end of the day. In places like Puebla and Mexico
City, there is a reenactment of the battle. Men dress as French and Mexican soldiers and
generals, and women wear the clothing of the soldaderos, the women who cooked for and
looked after the soldiers in wartime. In some representations, the Mexican soldiers carry
machetes and old gun-powder rifles, and the French soldiers carry bags with wine bottles
sticking out. It is said that in some of these staged battles, there are actual casualties. In
other reenactments, fruit is used as ammunition, so the worst injury possible is an apple to
the head. The Mexican president gives a speech in Mexico City that is televised
nationwide, and the day's reveling ends with shouts of "¡Viva Mexico!"
Similar celebrations take place in many major U.S. cities, including San Antonio, Houston,
Dallas, St. Paul, Chicago and Los Angeles. Cinco de Mayo is actually celebrated more
widely and on a grander scale in the United States than it is in Mexico, possibly due
to effective marketing techniques and the presence of many Mexican Americans
throughout the United States. Carnivals, street fairs and multi-day festivals are held all
over the United States during the first week in May. In Los Angeles, Cinco de Mayo
festivities attract hundreds of thousands of people. Red, white and green -- the colors of the
Mexican flag -- are the dominant tones on the blocks around City Hall, and a portrait of
General Zaragoza adorns the stage where the mayor of Los Angeles delivers a speech in
Spanish. This observance of the Cinco de Mayo victory is a special symbol for all
Mexican people who celebrate their rights of freedom and liberty, honoring those
who fought and won against greater odds. Although the Mexican army was
eventually defeated, the "Batalla de Puebla" has come to represent a symbol of
Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that
Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign
intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.

NATIONAL PUERTO RICAN DAY OF NEW YORK

In early June each year since the 1950s, the streets of New York City throng with
participants in a festival of Puerto Rican pride. The parade runs from 44th to 86th Street,
slowing traffic in surrounding streets to a crawl as people from all over the country jam the
sidewalks, waving Puerto Rican flags in a massive celebration of the island's heritage.
Each year the fesitivites have been growing. In 1999, 3 million people turned out to see the
parade. Superstar Jennifer Lopez was parade marshal, joined by co-marshalls salsa star
Tito Puente and baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda. Many other notables appeared,
including hip hop legend Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and an impressive array of New York
politicians and political hopefuls, enjoying the festivies as they courted the significant
Puerto Rican vote. In 1998, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliano proclaimed June 7 to
June 14 "Puerto Rican Week" in New York.

MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

Every year, September 16 is celebrated in commemoration of Mexico's first proclamation of
independence from Spain in 1810. In that year, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a pastor in the town
of Dolores, in the state of Guanajuato, prepared the people in his area for rebellion against
Spanish rule. On September 16, Hidalgo and his colleagues proclaimed the rebellion in their
famous "el Grito de Dolores," (the cry of Dolores). With this insurrection, the Spanish
withdrew their forces from the frontier presidios. It was not until 1821, however, that Mexico
acquired its independence from Spain.
HISPANIC DAY PARADE
Hispanics from all over the world have congregated in New York City every October since
1965 for the Hispanic Day Parade. "With so many Spanish-speaking countries in South and
Central America, the Caribbean and Europe, we celebrate the many cultures that are
unique to each country and take pride in our own cultural identity," say the promoters of the
important event. The Hispanic Day Parade comes as Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a
close, but the United States enjoys its Hispanic traditions and influences all year long.
 LOS DIAS DE LOS MUERTOS
OCTOBER 31, NOVEMBER 1 & 2
The Days of the Dead (or Los Dias de los Muertos) is a traditional three-day celebration
practiced throughout Mexico. At first glance, the Mexican custom of Los Días de los
Muertos may sound much like the U.S. custom of Halloween. After all, the celebration
traditionally starts at midnight the night of Oct. 31, and the festivities are abundant in
images related to death. But the customs have different origins, and their attitudes toward
death are different: In the typical Halloween festivities, death is something to be feared. But
in El Dia de Los Muertos, death — or at least the memories of those who have died — is
something to be celebrated. The holiday honors the dead and welcomes them back for
two days of feasting and festivities. It is not a time of mourning, but a celebration of
life. The tradition of The Days of the Dead goes back to the Aztecs, long before the
Spanish conquistadores arrived in what is now Mexico. The Aztecs believed that death was
just one phase of a long cycle of life; not an ending but a transition.

El Día de Los Muertos, which continues until Nov. 2, has become one of the biggest
holidays in Mexico, and celebrations are becoming more common in areas of the United
States with a large Hispanic population. Its origins are distinctly Mexican. Specifics of the
celebration vary with region, but one of the most common customs is the making of
elaborate altars to welcome departed spirits home. Vigils are held, and families often go to
cemeteries to fix up the graves of their departed relatives. Festivities also frequently include
traditional foods such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead), which can conceal a miniature
skeleton. The townspeople dress up as ghouls, ghosts, mummies and skeletons and
parade through the town carrying an open coffin. The "corpse" within smiles as it is carried
through the narrow streets of town. The local vendors toss oranges inside as the
procession makes its way past their markets. Lucky "corpses" can also catch flowers, fruits,
and candies. In the homes families arrange ofrenda's or "altars" with flowers, bread, fruit,
and candy. Pictures of the deceased family members are added. In the late afternoon
special all night burning candles are lit - it is time to remember the departed - the old ones,
their parents and grandparents.

At home, the families prepare ofrendas, altars laden with offerings of food, candles, incense
and flowers for the departed in their families. The next day the families travel to the
cemetery. They arrive with picks and shovels. They also carry flowers, candles, blankets,
and picnic baskets. They have come to clean the graves of their loved ones. The grave
sites are weeded and the dirt raked smooth. The crypts and tombstones are scrubbed and
swept. Colorful flowers, bread, fruit and candles are placed on the graves. Some bring
guitars and radios to listen to. The families will spend the entire night in the cemeteries.
Skeletons and skulls are found everywhere. Chocolate skulls, marzipan coffins, and white
chocolate skeletons. Special loaves of bread are baked, called pan de muertos, and
decorated with bones. Rituals at the cemeteries differ from town to town, but most feature
feasting and mariachi music. After dark in many traditions, solemnity reigns.

The overall tenor of the two days of welcoming the dead is one of happiness. The
dead are seen by the living as playful and happy beings who want to be entertained and
feasted and cherished, and the holiday celebrates life, not death.