Celebration time, come on, come celebrate with me ….

Día de la Independencia

Día de la Independencia in Mexico is celebrated annually on September 16^th.   

It is one of our favourite times of year on the island.  This week is traditionally the start of the festivities leading up to the big finale of this important national holiday featuring lots of fireworks, flags, banners, music, dancing and tasty food washed down with icy cold beer or shots of tequila.  

 But this week’s blog is also about the other celebrations that happen throughout the year.  Many of our Mexican friends don’t take the traditional two or three week holiday that we northerners are accustomed to, traveling someplace warm and exotic.  Heck, they already live in that place; warm and exotic.   Why go anywhere else?  

Like most countries there are several different types of holidays in Mexico: statutory (called feriados or días de asueto), civic, religious or family fiestas. 

New Year, Año Nuevo

To start the year off with a bang, (pun intended) the beginning of the New Year, Año Nuevo is an all-night fiesta in centro with fireworks and a twelve-piece band rocking the downtown area until dawn.  

As the party winds down many revelers will make their way to Punta Sur at the southern end Isla Mujeres.  This is the first place in all of Mexico for the first rays of sunlight to strike land and celebrants in their party clothes arrive by motos or golf carts or private vehicles to toast the New Year.  Government, banks, schools, and some stores are closed on January 1^st, which is probably a really good thing after an all-night party.

Carnaval

The next big national celebration, Carnaval, takes place in late February or early March, depending on the date set by the church calendar.  

It is a full five days of parades, dance contests, and silly behaviour until the beginning of Lent on the following Wednesday.  

This is the time of year that people really let loose.  

It is not a statutory holiday, but it is one of the best experiences in Mexico.

President Benito Juárez

By the time the third Monday in March rolls around there is a quieter observance of the birthday of President Benito Juárez, who was born March 21, 1806.  

The day is usually marked with speeches and a laying of a floral wreath at his statue at the junction of the roads behind the naval base, and the end of the airport.  

It is a statutory holiday so banks, schools and some stores will be closed.

Day of the Flowery Cross

On the 1^st of May is the Día del Trabajo or Mexico’s Labor Day commemorating the union movements Mexican workers.  While on May 3^rd the Day of the Flowery Cross is a separate observance just for construction workers.  

Drive around the island and you will see a variety of decorated crosses adorning the rooftop of buildings under construction.  The workers are usually treated to a hot lunch, and a half-day of work. 

Día de la Independencia

And forget your misconceptions about Cinco de Mayo, as we mentioned earlier, September 16^th is the real Día de la Independencia commemorating the beginning of its War of Independence, led by the famous Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1810.  If you are in Mexico on September 15th sure to make your way into centro for the ‘Cry of Independence’ scheduled for eleven in the evening, followed by fireworks, and another all-night fiesta.  ¡Viva México!

Flowers and food for Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead (People) begins on October 31^st and includes November 1^st, the Day of the Dead for children and November 2^nd the Day of the Dead for adults.  It is a 3000 year-old tradition of remembering relatives and friends who have passed away.  The historic tradition was integrated into the Catholic Church rituals in the mid 1500's.  Primarily a private family remembrance the beautiful altars and offerings have in recent years attracted a huge number of visitors to cities such as San Miquel de Allende, and the City of Mexico.  Here on Isla Mujeres it is a very low key celebration.

 

Día de la Revolución

November 20^th Día de la Revolución commemorating the start of the Mexican Revolution by Francisco I. Madero in 1910. Observance of this statutory holiday is the third Monday of November.  Most of the local school children participate in a parade featuring very young mustachioed-revolutionaries toting toy guns and crossed banderillos of fake bullets.  The kids are a delight to see, so serious and desperately trying to keep in step for an interminably long parade. 

One of the numerous celebrations

Celebrated chiefly in Mexico and the southwestern United States, Las Posadas begins on December 16^th and ends on December 24^th.   The nine day-religious holiday is a time for honouring the pilgrimage of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus to Bethlehem.  In Mexico, the Aztec winter solstice festival had traditionally been observed from December 7th to December 26^th marking the sun god Huitzilopochtli’s birthday.  

Getting ready for the next New Year's Eve fiesta

The parallel in time between this Aztec commemoration and the birth of the Christ lent itself to an almost seamless merging of the traditions in 1586.

Traditionally, Navidad or Christmas is observed on December 25^th as a secular and a religious holiday.  People attend Mass, relax, catch up with family and friends, and eat leftovers (recalentado) from Christmas Eve’s Noche Buena dinner.  

And there are more, lots more celebrations!  Come join the fun!

¡Viva México! Long live Mexico! 

Hasta Pronto!

Lynda & Lawrie

September in a Caribbean Paradise

Lawrie and Freddy - brothers from a different mother

It’s September.  

If we still lived in Canada we would be thinking of the upcoming harvest of crisp apples, juicy plums, pears and grapes; grapes to eat but more importantly grapes for delicious Okanagan Valley wines.   

Cool nights and warm sunny days.  September was always our favourite time of year in Canada.

Swimming with 40 foot Whale Sharks

Many miles to the south on our little island in paradise we have different priorities: fresh fish, pineapple, mangoes, watermelon and icy cold beer.

  

The days are still hot and very humid, the nights warm and a little less humid.  Occasional thunderstorms quickly roll across the island, or miss us entirely, soaking Cancun instead.  The ocean is calm, the winds light – perfect for scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming with the Whale Sharks.

In Mexico the children return to school from their summer break in late August and the day to day rhythm of the island changes.  We have more traffic on our street in the mornings as parents take sleepy children to classes that begin at seven.  Ugh!  We are early risers now, but not when we were kids.  Neither Lawrie nor I would have appreciated getting up so early to sit in a hot and stuffy classroom while a frustrated teacher tries to cram information into our sleepy brains.

Flirting is international!

In the afternoon we hear the shrieks of laughter as the pupils make their way back home.  There are many more walking home from school than to classes.  The parents deliver the kids to ensure they arrive on time, but for the most part let them find their own way home after classes.  The second shift starts at one in the afternoon and finishes up around six in the evening.  We can hear the late afternoon gaggle of gigglers passing by; boys flirting with girls and girls flirting with boys.

Girls waiting for a chance to sneak into a pool

Every September the new crop of high school students amuses us with their covert scouting of the various swimming pools along this street.  You can almost see their thought processes as they troupe along the beach in their school uniforms. 

Anyone at this house?  Anyone watching?  Maybe we can slip into the pool and no one will notice …. Oh, darn, those cranky people are watching us!  

The students preferred style of swimming is fully-dressed - removing only shoes - jumping in and out several times while covered in beach sand.  It seems to be a new-kid right-of-passage for the juniors, and a mother’s nightmare getting the uniforms clean and dry by morning.

Flag salesman - making money wherever he can

September on Isla is also known locally as Sept-Hunger.  In most of the world the youngsters are back in school and there are fewer tourists.  Less tourists equals less income for the people employed in tourist-based businesses – restaurants, bars, hotels, and tours.  

Family expenses continue plus the added expense of school supplies and uniforms for the new semesters.  Money is tight, and families struggle to make ends meet.

Cry of Delores - midnight on September 16th

But the worry about money evaporates for a day or two in mid-September with the important national celebration of Mexican Independence Day.  At midnight on September 16^th, the Cry of Delores is reenacted all over Mexico.  

It’s a stirring sight to see a large crowd of nationals stand and shout: ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!  The celebration continues with fireworks and an all-night fiesta. 

Lynda - kayaking on calm seas

If you haven’t thought about visiting Mexico in September it might be time to reconsider your plans.

It’s a great time to be in Mexico!  It’s a peaceful time to be on Isla Mujeres.

Hasta Luego

Lawrie & Lynda

Canadian-American-Mexican

Deep fried turkey - compliments of Michael at Jax.

Living in a foreign country with an eclectic mix of neighbours gives us a wide choice of holidays to observe.  Next Thursday the 22^nd of November is Thanksgiving for our American friends.  We have been invited to join in the festivities – turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and all the good stuff that we eat when Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in early October.



It’s a bonus - two Turkeys Days within six weeks of each other! 



Revolution Day in Mexico

Then November 20th is Mexican Revolution Day complete with parade and other special events.   We happily honor all Canadian, American, and Mexican holidays.  We are equal opportunity celebrants.


Night of the Kings parade - Lawrie loading up on candy.

Sometimes that has its advantages, and sometimes disadvantages.  An American friend of ours from the island is currently in the process of renewing his passport.  He and his wife work most days, with Monday being his only day that he has to take care of tasks that require interfacing with bureaucrats.  He was informed the American Consulate in Cancun was closed on Monday November 12^th for Remembrance Day.  Fair enough, that makes sense.  He was also told the American Consulate was closed on the following Monday November 19^th in honor of the Mexican Revolution Day.  And I suppose that makes sense if there are Mexican nationals working for the American Consulate, but if you are the customer wanting service it can get a bit annoying.



Searching on the internet for Mexican public holidays produces a list that covers statutory holidays, civic observances, and religious festivities giving local people a reason to celebrate every month of the year.In December the celebrations start on the 12^th with the Day of the Virgin Guadalupe and the festivities continue until the Night of the Kings on January 6th.Parades, music, good food, and lots of laughter.It’s great.Canada and the USA on the other hand have fewer festivities but still manage to include a long weekend every month with statutory holidays.It is frustrating for employers in any country who must pay premiums for employees to work on statutory holidays, but a nice change of pace for the workers. 



Another American tradition that we have been exposed to is the famous Super Bowl parties hosted by Charlie and Mary Simpson, featuring a pig roast and some type of game called “football.”  Maybe you may have heard of this game?  It seems to consist of dozens of over-sized, well-padded men piling on top of a leather ball, and then patting each other on the butt when disengaging from the pile.  Confusing to say the least; I’m just there for the camaraderie and the food.

We Canadians have also learned the finer points of playing another American pastime called Cornhole.  This game is called many things, corn toss, bean bag, bean toss, soft horseshoes, Indiana horseshoes, but in Kentucky or the southern part of Ohio, the game is passionately referred to as Cornhole.  For the last seven years Janet and Dave Davison have hosted this fun event on Isla Mujeres.   Starting around noon mixed teams take careful and very deliberate aim at a slippery, slanted board with cloth bag filled with whole kernel corn, measuring six inches by six inches and weighing an official sixteen ounces.   The fierce competition rages all day, frequently ending after dusk, played out under the lights of the ocean-side patio.  It is a winner take all battle culminating in the presentation of the coveted trophy.

Other times of the year we celebrate the well-known (at least to us) Canada Day on July 1^st and in a very neighbourly fashion also celebrate US Independence Day on July 4^th.  Then, because Mexico is now our home, we celebrate Mexican Independence Day on September 16^th.  For added flavour we and a number of island friends also celebrate Robbie Burns Night on January 25^th in honor of our Scottish ancestors, and St. Patrick’s Day on March 17^th for our Irish forefathers.

By now we are so confused on our heritage and our traditions we don’t know if we are Canadian-American-Mexicans, or Mexican-American-Canadians. 

Does that make us a C.A.M. or a M.A.C. and does it really matter?

                           

What a Beautiful Noise!

By Neil Diamond
What a beautiful noise   Comin' up from the street
Got a beautiful sound     It's got a beautiful beat

A man on a motorcycle slowly cruises past our house – he is singing a Spanish love song at the top of his voice, oblivious that we are eavesdropping from our upper floor deck.  The sound is beautiful, haunting.  We frequently perch on this street-side deck with our feet resting on the aluminum railings, our toes wiggling a hello to passing friends.  With a morning cup of coffee or an evening glass of wine in hand we are watching and listening to locals. 

 

 We are voyeurs!

This island thrives on noise, and music, and laughter. Early in the morning the honking of a bicycle horn lets us know the tortilla vendor has started his route, followed by the whine of motorcycles as they whiz past depositing teenagers at the college, and still later we hear the squeal of brakes, slamming of car doors and laughter as kindergarten students arrive at school. 

 

 

Walk through any neighbourhood and you will hear the overhead noise of a rooftop alarm system, the family dog, peering over the edge barking at anything or anyone that infringes on his territory.

As the day progresses the sounds change. 

Every vendor or delivery person has their own signal to let customers know they are nearby.  Want freshly squeezed orange juice?  Just wait for the beep-beep of the moto horn outside your door. 

 

Need a 20L bottle of agua purificada?  Two blasts from a truck’s horn and the squeak of the suspension – and you know the Cristal delivery truck has arrived. 

The deliverymen for the small portable bottles of propane have a recorded song that reverberates from a speaker; Zeta Zeta, Zeta gas. 

 

The cheese salesman sings a short refrain offering queso queso as he balances the large wheel of cheese on his head.  The knife-sharpener tootles a set of Pan Pipes trudging through the various neighbourhoods. 

 

Businesses like Super X-Press and Chedraui hire car-and-drivers with loud speakers to cruise the island advertising the weekly specials.  The municipality uses a similar method for advising islanders of upcoming important public events. 

 

The really intriguing part of this boisterous culture is the number of parades that take place annually, complete with music, costumes, decorated floats, and hundreds of marching participants. 

We have many photos of Christmas parades, the Night of the Kings, Carnival parades that happen nightly for a week, political parades, Independence Day, Revolution Day, cowboys riding to the bull fight-ring, caged lions and tigers complete with loud music advertising the circus, numerous religious celebrations, and national holidays.  

 

 

 

 

Then added on top of the parades are the five or maybe six annual fishing tournaments, and a music festival that attracts islanders and visitors alike – the noise level just keeps increasing.

And then there are times when the noise is a bit too much; the over-loaded mufflerless dump trucks racing to catch the last car ferry off of the island, the poorly maintained city garbage trucks that blat and grind and wheeze along the roads like old men struggling with a bad case of gas. 

 

Some businesses, like Farmacias Similares, seem to have a corporate policy of annoying the general public with exceptionally loud music piped outside for everyone to enjoy from early afternoon until late at night.  Even our favourite store, Chedraui Super Store, has earsplittingly loud music blasting from the stereos, competing with in-store music, announcements of today’s specials, or requests for a manager to call the service desk.     Oh joy!

 

 

The ocean-side view at our island home.

We grew up in a relatively quiet country, Canada, where noise is quite strictly regulated.  We have lived on country acreages, in rural homes, and in a converted warehouse-condo located on Beatty Street in Vancouver BC.  Living here is similar to residing downtown in a big city where the ambient noise level is ever-present, but with a lot fewer people creating the noise - that beautiful noise. 

 

When it all becomes too much for us we can retreat to the ocean-side of the house and listen to our favourite noise of all; the sound of waves sliding in from the Caribbean Sea, swooshing up onto the beach, slowly receding and gently pulling the white sand back into the ocean.    

 

Ah! Joy!

 

 

Easing up to the end of summer

Brisas Restaurante - a favourite place for a cool dinner.

This week has been hot and sticky, with high humidity that spikes just before the rain showers hit.  We are moving slower and spending more time hiding in the shade, or floating in the pool. 

If we are eating out my main criteria is - is there a breeze at that location? 

The various car and passenger ferries are still busy bringing tourists to the island. Travelers come to enjoy the beaches, deep sea fishing, the release of baby turtles and whale shark tours. 

Hundreds of tourists from Cancun

This week the municipality hosted drag races, held on the Navy airport runway.  It was amusing to watch as the scheduled start time of Saturday morning became Saturday afternoon, then Sunday morning, and finally around noon on Sunday there were some races.  Apparently the problem was that some of the contestants were not able to get across on the car ferry in time.  T.I.M. This is Mexico.


We are just a few days away from the first of September the slowest month of the year for tourism.  A few friends that operate bars or restaurants are closing for the month to give everyone their annual holidays, and to do a general cleanup of their properties.  Most students are back in school, and there aren’t any important national holidays until Independence Day on September 16^th. Despite this being the slow season, the real estate agents have been doing a booming business selling building lots, and a broad spectrum of houses in various price ranges. 

Dragging drag races

This is also the time of year that we look around our house making note of various small repairs that need doing.  And then we say; “Let’s wait until hurricane season is over.”  In other words, we are putting it off until the weather cools down, but blaming our laziness on the possibility of storms undoing our repairs, or painting.  The trouble with waiting too long is all the good repairmen will be busy as the returning North Americans arrive in October and November for the winter.  Even houses that are boarded up for the summer need repairs.  Things rust. Corrode.  Stop working.  Then it’s a scramble to get all the repairs done before the social season revs up. 

Rain showers coming !

So at the moment we are lazing around and enjoying our slothfulness.  Lawrie is blissfully floating in the pool, and I am about to join him.  Ah, summer.