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Posts Tagged ‘Children’s Day’

Honoring and including the children

Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , on April 30, 2023| 2 Comments »

The United Nations declared November 20 as World Children’s Day. However, that is Día de la Revolución in Mexico, thus in 1924, President Álvaro Obregó and Minister of Public Education José Vasconcelos designated April 30 as Día del Niño — the day Mexico celebrates and honors her children. Schools organize parties with games and treats, communities organize special activities, and parents may give their hijas and hijos gifts. However, one of the features of life in Oaxaca that I most appreciate is the way children are included all year round in celebrations.

July 4, 2022 – Convite for the festival honoring Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Teotitlán del Valle.
July 4, 2022 – Wearing traditional dress, with her canasta, watching and learning at the Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo convite, Teotitlán del Valle.
July 4, 2023 – Practicing with a marmota at the convite honoring Preciosa Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Teotitlán del Valle.
July 5, 2022 – Playing the roles of La Malinche and Doña Marina in the Danza de la Pluma, Teotitlán del Valle.
September 16, 2022 – Young escaramuza participating in the Independence Day parade in Oaxaca City.
February 4, 2023 – Young boy twirling a marmota during wedding festivities in front of Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Oaxaca.
February 18, 2023 – Young cachudos from Santa María Coyotepec participating in the Carnaval parade, Oaxaca.
February 18, 2023 – Young participant in the Carnaval parade, Oaxaca.
February 21, 2023 – Carnaval in San Martín Tilcajete.
April 2, 2023 – Carrying an offering in the Good Friday procession, San Antonino Castillo Velasco.

“… the objective of this [Día del Niño] celebration is to dedicate a moment to understanding the child population, promoting their social inclusion and carrying out activities to promote their well-being and the rights to which they have access as human beings.” (Google translation from this article)

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Children will see and learn

Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2020| 14 Comments »

Today in Mexico is Día del Niño (Day of the Child). However, this year, in the time of Covid-19, there will be no school parties, no large community gatherings, and, with no income for many, there will be fewer (if any) toys and treats given by parents. We all look forward to the days when we hear the sound of squeals and cheers coming from playgrounds, see children gathered with their friends laughing and talking, and again being a part of the traditional dances, parades, and celebrations. On this day as I was compiling this photo essay, I couldn’t get this song out of my head…

Children Will Listen
(sung by Bernadette Peters)
lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim

How do you say to your child in the night?
Nothing’s all black, but then nothing’s all white
How do you say it will all be all right
When you know that it might not be true?
What do you do?

Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see and learn
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn
To learn what to be
Careful before you say “Listen to me”
Children will listen

Careful the wish you make
Wishes are children
Careful the path they take
Wishes come true, not free

Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen

How can you say to a child who’s in flight
“Don’t slip away and I won’t hold so tight”
What can you say that no matter how slight Won’t be misunderstood
What do you leave to your child when you’re dead?
Only whatever you put in its head
Things that your mother and father had said
Which were left to them too

Careful what you say
Children will listen
Careful you do it too
Children will see
And learn, oh guide them that step away
Children will glisten
Tamper with what is true
And children will turn
If just to be free

Careful before you say
“Listen to me”
Children will listen
Children will listen
Children will listen

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Happy Day of the Child

Posted in Celebrations, Children, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2018| 3 Comments »

The United Nations declared November 20 as Universal Children’s Day.  However, that is Día de la Revolución in Mexico, thus April 30 was designated Día del Niño — the day Mexico celebrates her children.  Schools organize parties with games and treats, communities organize special activities, and parents may give their hijas and hijos gifts.

However, one of the features of life in Oaxaca that I appreciate most is the way children are welcomed and are included in all of the celebrations that I have had the privilege of attending — and that’s quite a few!  Enjoy the following photos taken during the past year.  (Click on an image for a full description of the event.)

 

Convite, July 7, 2017 – Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca
Guelaguetza, July 17, 2017 – Reyes Etla, Oaxaca
Comparsa, October 28, 2017 – Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca
Muerteada, November 2, 2017 – San Agustín Etla, Oaxaca
Día de los Muertos, November 4, 2017 – San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca
Día de los Muertos, November 4, 2017 – San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca
Guadalupe celebrations, December 10, 2017 – Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca
Posada, December 22, 2017 – Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca
Carnaval, February 13, 2018, San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca
Carnaval, February 13, 2018, San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca
Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018 – San Antonino Castillo Velasco, Oaxaca
Festival de la Nieve y el Mezcal, March 27, 2018 – Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca
Convite celebrating Oaxaca’s 486th birthday & Cocineras Tradicionales, April 24, 2018, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca
Convite celebrating Oaxaca’s 486th birthday & Cocineras Tradicionales, April 24, 2018, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca
Mercado Sanchez Pascuas, Día del Niño festivities, April 29, 2018, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca

¡Feliz Día del Niño!  And parents everywhere, please remember to “teach your children well.”

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To the children…

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2015| 3 Comments »

Feliz Día del Niño (Day of the Child) to children everywhere!

Forever Young
by Bob Dylan

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

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Celebrate the children

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Holidays, Museums, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 29, 2014| 4 Comments »

On Saturday, we drove to San Bartolo Coyotepec for the opening of the exhibition, Colorum, an exhibit of art by the children of Oaxaca, mounted as part of tomorrow’s el Día del Niño (Children’s Day) celebrations.  We went primarily to support my friend Juan, as his son Allan was one of the young artists participating in the show.  However, we stayed because it was a wonderfully inspiring and uplifting experience and I applaud the Museo Estatal de Arte Popular Oaxaca (MEAPO) for encouraging and showcasing the imagination and creativity of the children of Oaxaca.

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What is given to children, the children will give to society.

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Children are the most important resource in the world and the best hope for the future.

The free imagination transforms the world and makes things fly.

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The Colorum exhibition lasts until May 20, 2014.  It is open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.

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Celebrating children and culture

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2013| 8 Comments »

Today is Día de los Niños (Children’s Day) and it’s a big deal here.  Oaxaca began her celebrations days ago.  The 6th Festival of Children’s Story Telling opened on Saturday, yesterday an exibition of traditional toys (Colección Hanni Sager Juguete tradicional) had its inauguration at the Museo del Palacio, and Friday, the Guelaguetza Infantil calenda filled the streets from Santo Domingo to the Basilica de la Soledad.

As several bands played, the children from Oaxaca’s preschools wearing the traditional costumes from the 8 regions of the state of Oaxaca waited, posed, walked, danced, and threw candy to the appreciative crowds gathered on the sidewalks along the ten-block long route.  (Note, some of the little girls already practicing holding canastas (baskets) on their heads!)

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Parents and teachers, many also wearing traje from the Cañada, Costa, Istmo, Mixteca, Papaloapan, Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, and the Valles Centrales regions, proudly walked alongside the children.  Vive Oaxaca concluded their article,

With such events from the early years of life are taught to love our Oaxacan culture, traditions, music and preserve the best legacy we have: our roots. Congratulations to the teachers and parent to correctly perform with great momentum this holiday culture.  [Google translation]

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Children’s Day

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 30, 2012| 2 Comments »

When I was a child and asked, “If there is a Mother’s Day and a Father’s day, why isn’t there a Children’s Day?”  My mother’s usual reply was, “Everyday is children’s day!”  Hmmm… I never did buy her explanation, until I had kids of my own.  However, here in Mexico, there is a day to celebrate children and today is that day — Día del Niño, a day when children are made to feel special.

Schools organize parties with games and treats instead of lessons, parents may give their niños y niñas gifts, and special community activities for kids are organized.  Yesterday, here in the city, the Service Workers Union threw an all day party for 5,000 children in the annex of the Eduardo Vasconcelos baseball stadium.  There were box lunches, candy (of course), a petty zoo, games, shows, and even a raffle for new bicycles.

So, here’s to the girls and boys of Oaxaca…

girl sitting and smiling with 2 front teeth missing

To their good humor.

Boy with a hat and scarf on head

Their pride in celebrating their communities…

Girl in Istmo huipi

Their beauty…

Boy in plaid shirt and red scarf

Their amazing patience…

Girl sitting and looking sad

Even when they are shy and tired.

Young child, barefoot standing next to a car

And, especially to the street children, who, despite the challenges of their lives, seem to find ways to “just be kids.”

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