Friday, January 9, 2009

Bastardizing Mexican Holidays: Our Dia de los Tres Reyes

When Ed and I were first married and contemplating future family life, I had grand visions of elaborate celebrations of the major Mexican holidays in our home. Traditions that would forever bind Ed's Mexican heritage to our children.

Here is what our El Dia de los Tres Reyes celebration looked like this year:

*I made yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting instead of the traditional Rosca de Reyes.

*I hid a plastic cow from the boys' train set in one of the cupcakes instead of the requisite baby Jesus doll.

*I meant to give one of the boys the cupcake with the "hidden cow" but accidently gave it to myself. This means that I will have good luck for the next year and I am required to throw a feast on February 2nd (Dia de la Candalaria). I already have it all planned out....it will be called "nightly dinner" and I will cook "whatever is in the fridge."

*After school, the boys found leftover Christmas candy and a little bit of money inside their GAP leather boots (they are supposed to find candy and gifts in their shoes when they wake up).

*We read our new favorite Christmas book (ok, it's more of MY new favorite) as well as our beloved Tomie dePaulo favorites.

As they say in Mexico, ya mero (close enough).

5 comments:

Belle said...

This is great! I love the cow baked into a cupcake. I too have had visions of adding all sorts of Latin holidays/traditions to our year, top among them Las Posadas, Dia de los Muertos, Cinco de Mayo, and Tres Reyes. We didn't do a single thing this year, but happily, Maren's school celebrated Tres Reyes with the cake, and she walked away with a baby Jesus so she has to bring some special food on a day later in the year. I didn't realize the connection to the later Dia de la Candalaria.

This is Carrie said...

Too funny. I say good enough too. At least you did something! We are sticking with Dia de Los Muertos and Cinco de Mayo in our house for a while--until we can cut out a few American Holidays that is.

Kristie Larsen said...

i can't stop laughing. this is so funny. After celebrating Christmas I am just tapped out for the rest of the year. Happy celebrating!

Jen said...

Yeah...that is the main problem with Mexican holidays....they seem to follow directly after a big American holiday! Talk about overload! I love the idea of Las Posadas, but haven't figured out a plausible way to celebrate it yet. We'll keep working on it.

BTW, my mother-in-law and aunts-in-law thought our celebration was hilarious....they were belly laughing about the whole thing. At least they weren't offended my half-*ssed effort.

Anonymous said...

Yea, I am still waiting for that perfect HALLMARK Christmas, and look how old I am. When and IF it happens I am sure it wont be a memorable as the ones in the past.....love ya .
Aunti Jan