Point South Mexico - Real Estate and Lifestyle Magazine

It isn't the sight of decorated Christmas trees or stockings hung by the chimney that starts the visions of sugar plums dancing in the heads of Mexican children and adults. What reminds our Mexican neighbors of the joys of Christmas past? Canteros. Canteros are the plain clay jars are transformed with crepe paper and paper maché into piñatas.

More Cultural Differences
From time to time we've outlined a few of the things that the foreign visitors do differently from our Mexican Hosts. There's more differences than you might think-but the happier we are to live here the more we shout VIVA la differencia!

El Niño
One day last summer the neighbor lady invited us to attend a piano recital featuring two of her three children, Antonio, 10, and Brenda, 9. We sat in the crowded auditorium fanning ourselves with our mimeographed programs and watched as the dozen or so children in white First Communion outfits showcased tentative versions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Chopsticks. Next to us, adoring parents hung on every note. Feeling their devotion, I realized once again how primary the place of children is in Mexican culture.

Here at Lake Chapala, las fiestas patrias (patriotic fiestas) of September begin a five-month season of fiestas. Just as one extravaganza concludes, another special event begins through the fall celebrations of the patron saints of Chapala and Ajijic to the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Christmas celebrations and on into the New Year until finally Carnival brings 40 quiet days of Lent.

May 3rd--Day of the Holy Cross and Construction Workers

Villagers all over Mexico festoon permanent crosses with garlands of flowers and colorful streamers on May 3. The colorful tradition has that decorates crosses along roadsides, on mountaintops and on unfinished homes has the same roots as the the colorful flower-like May Baskets and streamer wrapped May Poles, but the Mexican day honors the Holy Cross.