MEXICAN TRADITIONS AND CELEBRATIONS

The Day of the Dead:

This holiday is not scary - it's fun! It is a way that people show respect for the dead. Some people believe that the dead come for food during The Day of the Dead, so at night they set out food. This celebration is three days long. On the first the living relatives go to the cemetery and show their respect. On the second day, they have celebrations at his/her house serving the dead's favorite food. On the third day, there are parades with floats, bands, and even little fake coffins with fake skeletons in them.

Families also create special altars that honor the memories of their dead relatives. Below are a collection of altars that families in the San Antonio area created to honor the Day of the Dead.

Cinco de Mayo:

Cinco de Mayo (fifth of May) is an exciting festival. It happens in many American cities as well as Mexico. The history behind this festival goes back to 1862 when Napoleon the 3rd was the leader of France. Mexico owed big amounts of money to France. He used this excuse to attack Mexico. There was a battle called the Battle of Puebla. The French army had been well trained with many weapons; the Mexican villagers had very few guns and bullets and wore ragged clothes but they fought till the French went home. Today we celebrate that day with food, music, dances, and fun!