9781422286821

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Mexican girls, accompanied by their chaperone, march in a Cinco de Mayo parade. This festival, held on the fifth of May, is one of the most joyful and widely celebrated of the year.

Five Thousand Fiestas A Party Every Day A ccording to the Mexican Department of Tourism, between 5,000 and 6,000 recognized fiestas (holiday celebrations) are celebrated in Mexico every year. These celebrations are religious, national, local, personal, and food related. On any given day of the year in Mexico, at least one fiesta is being celebrated somewhere in the nation. Fiestas keep alive the traditions of various individual towns, cities, and states within Mexico. Fiestas also commemorate the important historical anniversaries of the United Mexican States. They pay homage to the special foods and crops of the nation, and they are held for birthdays, baptisms, weddings, and graduations. Some fiestas are thrown to welcome special guests to a town or to a private residence. Mexican postal workers even have their very own fiesta day! Almost every fiesta in Mexico features special food, music, dancing, arts and crafts, parades, fireworks, parties, and prayer. Some of these celebrations have their own brightly colored costumes. Fiestas may be held in churches, town centers, private clubs, or personal homes.

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