Mexican Fiestas

It has been a while since my last post, but a month of Spanish language school took a little of my free time away for things including blogging. In true Mexican style however, I still managed to fit in a swag of fiestas for a range of events including birthdays, first communions and labour day. while all slightly different, they all share some common characteristics:

1. The fiesta will not be ready for guests at the published start time for the fiesta
2. Guests shouldn't arrive on time and if you are hosting the fiesta, don't expect most of your to guests to arrive for at least an hour after the published start time of the fiesta
3. Providing you arrive approximately an hour after the published fiesta start time, you can be assured of being served a hot 3 course meal, regardless of what time you arrive ... complete with tortillas and frijoles of course
4. Everyone dances, from the youngest babe being nursed by a relative to the grandparents and the music can vary from Danzon (a little like a waltz) to Salsa to pop. Any wonder most Latin people seem to be born with rhythm!
5. As well as varied the music will be LOUD, but everyone still manages to chat and have a good time and young babies manage to sleep in spite of the music, dancing and lots of kids running around
6. Did I mention children? There will be a lot of them, in addition to people of all ages, so the fiesta will probably take place in a salon (fiesta venue) with a play area for children to stay amused whilst the adults eat, drink, dance and generally be merry
7. If you are the host you need to prepare a lot of food because you will never be really sure how many guests will attend because your sister might invite her sister in law's family and the next door neighbours
8. Arising from the uncertainty of item 5 above, typically at the end of the evening there will be a lot of food left over, so if you stay to the end you may end up helping to pack up and be served up with a second meal
9. The fiesta (which officially started at 1pm) will extend from approximately 3pm to somewhere around midnight
10. There will probably be a cake and it will be ENORMOUS. It will probably also be a Mexican tres leches (3 milks) cake containing carnation milk, cream and condensed milk - very tasty indeed!
11. Presents aren't opened when people receive them, rather they are typically displayed on a table near the cake and opened as an event during the evening

Essentially, Mexican fiestas are filled with family, food, music and dancing and are a key form of social interaction in Mexico. They are lots of fun and there are lots of fiestas to be had.