Cinco de Mayo is not the same as Mexican Independence Day, but is often confused as so. Mexican Independence Day, independence from Spanish rule, is on September 16. Cinco de Mayo, May 5, commemorates the unlikely defeat of the French by the Mexican army in the Battle of Puebla back in 1862.

It had been Napoleon III who sent French troops to Mexico to have his relative, Maximilian of Austria, be ruler over this particular area of Mexico. Though the Mexican army won this battle, Maximilian still became emperor over Mexico for 3 years before Mexico reclaimed independence.

Cinco de Mayo is only celebrated in a few areas of Mexico, but the US has “adopted” Cinco de Mayo in as a “Mexican celebration” of sorts. Just as the US has huge St. Patrick, Oktoberfest, and Chinese New Year festivals to educate and celebrate the cultures and ancestry of the Irish, German and Chinese, Cinco de Mayo educates and celebrates the Mexican culture. It has been growing in popularity especially amongst Mexican Americans. And of course, as most things in America do, it has become quite commercialised and turned into a drinking holiday for most.

Photo credit: Jamie Puebla

Resources: National Geographic

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, May 5, teach children something about the Mexican culture. Below are some more simple and fun game ideas.

Piñata Fun

Go to your nearest Mexican market or food store and buy an inexpensive Piñata filled with candy or other surprises. Cinco de Mayo has become so popular, that you can now buy Piñatas at nearly any grocery store. However, if you do have a Mexican market or Mexican food store nearby, make the trip with your child to show them the store, point out different food being sold there, words in Spanish, and have them point out items which might be “typical” from the Mexican culture.

Once home, “Break the Piñata”

Take a large stick, we use our son’s baseball bat, hang the Piñata up from a tree outside, blindfold one child at a time, place them infront of the Piñata and let them take up to 3 swings, at a time, at the Piñata. Make sure other children are out of the way. As a family, we take turns blindfolding one another for swinging at the Piñata. My son thinks it’s really funny to see mama and papa, blindfolded and trying to find the Piñata to hit.

A great book read to go with this game, read El piñtero/The Piñata Maker, by George Ancona. Read the book before buying the Piñata, after buying, before hitting, after hitting….

Buenos Amigos (Good Friends)

For older children, have your children write a note to some of their friends, listing positive and nice reasons why they like that person as a friend (amigo). Give them suggestions for writing telling them to think of kind things as to how their amigos act, think, play, work, look, or communicate. Let them mail the letters to their friends, drive by their houses to drop them off, or give them to their amigos directly if you have them over for a Piñata party.

Photo credit: Wikipedia 

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, May 5, teach children something about the Mexican culture. Below is a simple and fun game idea (for all ages and the whole family), food to make, going green craft idea, and a video clip.

Mexican “Sombrero” Hat Dance

This is my favorite activity to play with my toddler. Get a sombrero and authentic music from Mexico. As a family, with playgroups or school classrooms, have everyone stand around the sombrero, making a large circle and holding hands. Tell the children that when the music begins, they start walking sideways. Then call out the name of one child, or one family member, and they have to leave the circle, go to the middle of the circle and dance around the hat until another name is called. The other person rejoins the circle as the next person dances around the hat.

I had had a really great sombrero from my days of missionary work in Mexico (see picture above left). When I was teaching ESOL at the Universities, I used this sombrero as a “birthday hat” for my students to wear in class when it was there birthday. One day, one of my male students got really sad, homesick, and excited about the sombrero. He had been in a traditional Mexican band where he always worn the traditional Mexican outfit with sombreros. I ended up giving him my hat. So, since I didn’t have my sombrero anymore, I bought a small sombrero at the $1 store. I have also seen knock-off sombreros at the Mexican market.  

Video Clip

Click here for a nice Cinco de Mayo youtube video clip for children and the whole family to watch.

Make some Guacamole

 Peel, mash, chop, mash and mix all the following ingredients together. Serve with chips or tortillas. Easy, simple, delicious! 2-4 ripe avocados, ½ red onion (I use a whole red onion), ½ clove garlic or garlic powder, 1-2 small tomatoes, 1-2 Tbsp lime juice, dash “to taste” salt & pepper
 

Go Green Craft Idea

For a fun craft, use the avocado pits from making your guacamole to grow a plant. How green and fun is that?!

Take the avocado pits, push toothpick through the pits (we use corn cob holders). Place the pits at least ½ an inch into the water, never change the water but add water as needed. Roots will start to appear from the bottom of the pit then a stem from the top. Let the stems grow to about 6 inches before cutting them back to 3-4 inches. This will let the avocado plant grow bushier and thicker leaves.

For Avocado plant photo credit 

Remove toothpicks, and plant 2-3 weeks later. Let just a little of the pit be exposed on top of the soil so new stems can still grow. Avocado plants need light but not too much direct sunlight. Do not overwater the plant, it should even dry out some in between waterings. My sort of plant!

From our Wisemommies’ homes to yours, Happy Easter!

While we have enjoyed watching our children have fun with Easter Egg hunts, making Egg Ornaments and Easter Crafts, above all else, we Wisemommies are celebrating the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ…this Easter and every Easter.

John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Some other passages from the bible giving bibical account of the crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and raising from the dead can be found in Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.  

Wisemommies' Easter Posts:

How to make Easter Egg Ornaments like they do in Germany

Homemade Easter Egg Dyes, kids will love and parents too because it’s all organic, green, safe and fun!

Homemade Easter Egg Dyes with Onions

Easter Songs!

Easter Egg Roll- What they are doing at the White House Every Year; A tradition brought
over from the earliest of settlers to America

Yummy, Mustard Eggs