05112014Sun
Last updateFri, 09 May 2014 2pm

The marvelous month of May

Bus drivers, police officers and Reporter staff apart, very little formal work was done on May 1 – Labor Day. But the monthly fiestas don’t stop there – they continue non-stop for the rest of the month.

May 3 is the popular Dia de la Santa Cruz, when a workmen-made, decorated cross is fixed to the highest point of every building under construction or significant repair.

This is quickly followed by the Cinco de Mayo anniversary of the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which Mexican forces led by Ignacio Zaragoza fought Napoleon III’s vaunted veterans at the service of Maximilian, Archduke of Austria and, surprising even themselves, won.

Saturday, May 10 is a day of extraordinary emotional outpouring that begins in the early hours of the morning with groups of musicians or recorded music serenading mothers throughout Mexico. While this wee-hours tradition is thinning under urban stress, children of all ages continue to plot for months to honor Mother’s Day in imposing ways. Mother’s Day in the United States in celebrated on Sunday, May 11.

The calendar slows a bit after Mother’s Day. The devout mark May 13, the appearance of the venerated Virgin of Fatima. Farmers and ranchers honor San Isidro Labrador on May 15, having the seed of their various crops blessed before preparing fields for planting. May 15 is also Teacher’s Day (a school holiday); Student’s Day is May 23, but the kids still have to attend school. The United States marks Armed Forces Day on May 17 and Memorial Day on May 26.