Lesson #7 Mexican Holidays

							Lesson #7 Mexican Holidays

Outcomes: Students will compare and contrast 4 holidays in Mexico to those of
America.

Materials needed
Worksheet for lesson (download in .pdf)
Computers with Internet Access
Webquest link: { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/holiday.htm" }


Challenge level: 3

Teaching the Lesson

Brainstorm with students a list of holidays that we celebrate in America.
Discuss the dates and reasons for celebrating each one.
Students will access the holidays website and complete the graphic organizer
comparing some of Mexico’s holidays with similar ones in America.
Discuss our similarities.

List of Mexican Holidays: (ref. above website)

JANUARY

   ?? January 1... Año Nuevo (New Year's Day), is an official Mexican holiday.
   ?? January 6 ... Día de los Santos Reyes is the day when Mexicans exchange Christmas
      presents in accordance with the arrival of the three gift-bearing wisemen to Jesus Christ.
      This day culminates the Christmastime festivities.
   ?? January 17 ... Feast Day of de San Antonio de Abad is a religious holiday during
      which the Catholic Church allows animals to enter the church for blessing.

FEBUARY

   ?? February 5 ... Día de la Constitución an official holiday that commemorates Mexico's
      Constitution.
   ?? February 24 ... Flag Day, This Mexican national holiday honors the Mexican flag.

MARCH

   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/carnaval.htm" } is an official Mexican holiday
      that kicks off a five-day celebration of the libido before the Catholic lent. Beginning the
      weekend before Lent, Carnaval is celebrated exhubrantly with parades, floats and
      dancing in the streets. Port towns such as Ensenada, La Paz, Mazatlán and Veracruz are
      excellent places to watch Carnaval festivities.
   ?? March 21 ... The Birthday of Benito Juárez, a famous Mexican president and national
      hero, is an official Mexican holiday.

Laura Luke
Internet Activities for Simon and Barklee in Mexico
APRIL

   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/semana.htm" } ... Semana Santa is the holy
      week that ends the 40-day Lent period. This week includes Good Friday and Easter
      Sunday. It is Mexican custom to break confetti-filled eggs over the heads of friends and
      family.

MAY

   ?? May 1 ... Primero de Mayo is the Mexican national holiday that is equivalent to the U.S.
      Labor Day.
   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/cinco.htm" } is the Mexican national holiday
      that honors the Mexican victory over the French army at Puebla de los Angeles in 1862.
   ?? May 10 ... Mother's Day, Due to the importance of the mother in Mexican culture,
      Mother's Day is an especially significant holiday.

JUNE

   ?? June 1 ... Navy Day is an official Mexican holiday.

SEPTEMBER

   ?? September 1 ... Annual State of the Union, Though this date is an approximation, the
      President delivers the address in the autumn.
   ?? September 8 ... Día de Nuestra Señora is a local Baja holiday that celebratates Baja's
      first mission.
   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/grito.htm" } celebrates the day that Miguel
      Hidalgo delivered El Grito de Dolores, and announced the Mexican revolt against Spanish
      rule.

OCTOBER

   ?? October 12 ... Día de la Raza, This day celebrates Columbus' arrival to the Americas,
      and the historical origins of the Mexican race.

NOVEMBER

   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/dayofthedead.htm" } is an important Mexican
      holiday that merges Pre-Columbian beliefs and modern Catholocism. Europe's All Saints'
      Day and the Aztec worship of the dead contribute to these two days that honor Mexico's
      dead.
   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/revolution.htm" }This official Mexican holiday
      celebrates the Mexican Revolution of 1910.

DECEMBER

   ?? December 12 ... Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or the day of the Virgin of
      Guadalupe is celebrated with a feast honoring Mexico's patron saint.
   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/xmas.htm" } celebrates Joseph and Mary's
      search for shelter in Bethlehem with candlelight processions that end at various nativity
      scenes. Las Posadas continues through January 6.


Laura Luke
Internet Activities for Simon and Barklee in Mexico
   ?? { HYPERLINK "http://www.mexonline.com/xmas.htm" } With the rest of the Christian
      world, Mexico celebrates Christmas day.




Enrichment
Create a graphic organizer with some contrasting holidays in Mexico.

Create your own Mexican- American Holiday- choose a date, and explain the
occasion.




Laura Luke
Internet Activities for Simon and Barklee in Mexico
Filename:          lesson7_mexholidays.doc
Directory:         H:\Graduate work\global project\Mexico lessons
Template:          C:\Documents and Settings\LLuke\Application
   Data\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dot
Title:             Lesson #1:
Subject:
Author:            Somers Schools
Keywords:
Comments:
Creation Date:     5/9/2003 3:24 PM
Change Number: 8
Last Saved On:     5/27/2003 3:28 PM
Last Saved By:     Somers Schools
Total Editing Time:      14 Minutes
Last Printed On: 5/29/2003 2:06 PM
As of Last Complete Printing
   Number of Pages:      3
   Number of Words:      649 (approx.)
   Number of Characters:        3,704 (approx.)