The Easter Celebration here and there

A long time ago I remember going to my hometown, Ensenada, to visit my family and perhaps to pause some emotional circles. While I was riding in the bus from my mother's house to the downtown, there was something that caught my attention ... A man selling candy in a box got into the bus. The funny thing was that its box was divided into American candies and typical Mexican candies; it was very interesting for me, because there was a very little detail, but I could compare it with the cities in the center of Mexico, like Mexico City, the candies that some people sell in the buses are just typical.

Making a small parenthesis, even I spent 24 years of my life living there I could not figure that out completely, even if it was conscious of that to growing up in a border town, my life and traditions were more attached to the American culture. For example, despite knowing the usual traditions such as the Three Kings Day, Day of the Dead or the Catholic celebrations related to Easter; I can say that the city was dressed more with the themes of Santa Claus, Halloween and Easter; which I remember very much while enjoying the search for the chocolate eggs.

A couple of days ago I spoke with a great friend from Florida, and she told me that in her childhood she celebrated Easter with a dinner in which she ate roasted lamb and ham with mashed potatoes and many vegetables (my mouth was watering already). She also told me that currently, she and her husband prepare dinner while their grandchildren search for eggs in the garden (really a nice Sunday afternoon).

From Carnival to Easter

But to all this ... How is it celebrated in Mexico? Well ... I owe you the answer, I'm just kidding ... If I remember correctly and you have the right to correct me ... Tradition is more attached to the famous Lent (insert the voice of your favorite teacher at school), which is a time of preparation spiritual (supposedly) for the feast of Easter. This begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday, giving a total (calculator sound) of approximately 40 days, which symbolize the forty days that Jesus Christ spent in the desert ... (I tell you in case someone asks you). Anyway, I remember a lot that everything is part of a great celebration ... Starting from the carnival and the super party for about a week, which ended on a Tuesday ... Usually in Ensenada, it always rained that Tuesday. Pausing at this point, somehow my perception is that the celebration is going on a “staircase”, since the carnival begins in the northern cities such as Ensenada, La Paz and at the end in Cabo (I hope I will see it and enjoy it on next year); well, the pause is over. But since I was a child I remember being enchanted by the parade and the floats of different shapes and colors; some more creative than others and others more generous than others, talking about the gifts they threw to the public (of which I was never very lucky to catch them).

Carnivals are also characterized by having music and live shows every day; a fair, which is always well-used by friends or a date (I always Cupid mode) ... The food is usually very varied, but believe me that if you think you can go on a diet, do not recommend it, plus life It is very short to make diets and miss the fair bread, fried plantains, roasted corn, tacos ... It really is worth enjoying. Nevertheless, everything has a certain change from Ash Wednesday ... Since that day is like "marking a close" of all the excesses of the previous week ...

Most people go to church and it is more common to eat certain foods like seafood, fish (I just wanted a fish covered in butter and vegetables) ... I am beginning to think that this blog is taking a more culinary stance ... Anyway, these are also days when the heat and temperature are starting in the Baja California Peninsula is quite nice to go to the beach, have meetings with friends at home (after lockdown) ... Or just and as I like, walk through the streets of downtown looking for a cafe with chairs outside to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while watching the sun go down (Aww !).

Now, going a little to the center of the country, the traditions, in my opinion, are more colorful or intense ... I find it quite magical how people buy in abundance everything they need to celebrate and in a certain way they stick quite a bit to a tradition. Another of my great friends in Mexico City does a kind of fasting for approximately 40 days, as a ritual to be reborn and to be thankful for all that she has. His philosophy is very nice, he talks about how life is like that sometimes, in which there are times when times can be difficult, but when in a certain way the negative part is left behind, you realize how much you have learned from any situation (again… Awww !).

And as for the traditions, I consider that the richest thing is to live them with the people you love, to be creative with them and even create yours. I wish you an excellent Easter and please save me a chocolate egg.