Mother’s Day is a special day for families because it involves music and food and giving gifts to mothers. In some Latin American countries, this year Mother’s day is celebrated on Friday, May 10th. Showing your mom that you love her on Mother’s Day is an international tradition.
Although Mother’s Day is celebrated across the world in more than 50 countries, this article will focus on Mother’s Day traditions in Peru, Mexico and Guatemala, where many of our students in Mission High school come from.
In Peru, at school they give mothers gifts. For example, moms receive cooking utensils for the kitchen and flowers. The students give a dance performance. They also give a presentation of poetry or acting. On TV, there are many notices to remind people about Mother’s Day which is May 12th, the second Sunday of May.
Arhlen Mejia, a junior originally from Peru, said, “My family cooks dinner for my mom and it tastes good, but not as good as when she cooks.”
This year, Arhlen isn’t going to celebrate Mother’s Day with her mom, because her mom is still in Peru and she is here. “I am going to FaceTime her instead.”
Arlhen is in the process of becoming a citizen. “I am a resident and I hope to bring my mom here in three to five years.” Arlhen gets to visit her mom twice a year, in the summer and around Christmas. This year she is going to celebrate with her stepmom, who is about to be a mom for the first time.
In Mexico for Mother’s Day, families gather to honor the huge role mothers play in their families’ lives. On Mother’s Day, moms receive pink roses and are surprised with breakfast in the morning. Mexican traditions for Mothers Day are similar to those in the U.S.A and a bunch of families give flowers to their mothers.
Erik Lopez, a junior whose roots are Mexican, has never been to Mexico. For Mother’s Day, Erik goes to a store near 23rd and Mission Streets and buys red roses for his mom.
“Sometimes I buy jewelry and a card,” said Erik.
Erik has two older brothers. His dad and his brothers buy things for his mom. Usually they give her gifts in the afternoon or at his cousin’s house. Erik was closer to his cousins and together they celebrated their moms. They went to an expensive restaurant to celebrate.
Sharol Castanon, a senior from Guatemala, had a big party at school with her mom and the school had a party with fruit, salad, tamales, meat, sodas, cookies. The school has surprises for the mothers like clothes, make up, beauty products, and flowers. Sharol sings for her mom. She celebrates more in Guatemala than in the U.S.A. Her mom just arrived, so she plans to prepare breakfast for her mom. She and her siblings will sing for her, and they’ll give her gifts.
In Spain, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May; this year it was May 5th. Ms. Cristina Sobremazas’s daughter surprised her with cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, a bottle of wine, flowers and a card. If they were in Spain, they would have “gone out to lunch as a family and moms would receive a symbolic, simple gift like a plant,” says Ms. Sobremazas.
