Children's Day
By Elvia & Geno Lamphiear
El Día de los Niños (Children's Day) is celebrated in many countries around the world, on several different dates. The Mexican celebration takes place on April 30th. Mexico has celebrated Dia de los Niños on April 30th since 1923. In Mexico, it's done every year at all the schools. It's like a carnival day. Everyone looks forward to it with great anticipation.
It is no secret that Mexico's love of children and family is second to none in the world. Children's Day is just another extension of this Mexican tradition. Although it is not an official holiday; banks and businesses do not close and school is still in session, but non-the-less it is a very special day for young people in Mexico.
Here in San Pancho, as in many other communities, children will wear costumes to school. In particular, costumes of local importance. On Dia de los Ninos the children do not wear their school uniforms and they are free to wear their favorite clothes. The teachers will celebrate this day and give the kids a big party. The town's committee will also throw a big party for the children at the plaza. They will break piñatas and you'll find that candies and cakes are everywhere.
Excursions to museums, zoos, beaches or pools with an educational theme are also acceptable as part of thisbig day.
 The government usually also organizes events for the kids such as plays and the tickets are distributed through the schools and are used as a reward and incentive to those children with better grades.
In some communities, the local movie theater will offer free entry run children's films all day. Ice cream and flavored ices are a favorite treat for Children's Day and often the local ice cream vendors will give away small servings to any costumed children who enter their shops.
It is also a time when children will visit their grandparents and Godparents and receive small gifts and treats. Traditionally the gifts might be small clay whistles in the shape of animals, small animals and other figures made out of colorful cut and pierced tin work, figures woven of straw or raffia and even small images of the child's patron saint. Today, likely as not, the gifts may take the form of Spiderman, Barbie, or the latest CD.
As with children everywhere, the favorite treats are sweets in the shape of many forms. Favorites are small cookies, candied fruits and nuts, small honey cakes soaked in syrup and little turnovers of puff pastry with various sweet fillings. Kids are spoiled to the max on this day and just like Christmas they get enough candy to last a lifetime - and why not? they are our greatest gifts!
All for now,
Elvia & Geno Lamphier -
genolamphiear@hotmail.com
* This information is provided by María Elvia Garcia Palomera & Geno Lamphier, owners of Calandria Realty in San Francisco (San Pancho), Nayarit, Mexico
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