Holiday Series: Mother's Day (Felíz Día de la Madre)

Mother's Day in Peru is a big deal.  A BIG DEAL.  Not that it isn't a big holiday in the states, but you've got nothing on Peru. There is the "normal" stuff like fliers showcasing gifts you should get mom (my personal favorite was the meat store flier that suggested hotdogs were just what mom's been hoping to receive).  This mom wasn't so much on board with that idea, but fortunately no one else in the family thinks I would ever want that.  And I recycled the flier right away.  Beyond that, I present the following norms:

• Programs at children's schools for mother's day.  These programs are several hours long, involve costumes for the children, pins for the moms, drawings for baskets (mostly food) and other prizes, special food, crafts given to moms that appear to be made by teachers, not children (at least for the younger ages) and more. 
• Restaurants have specials for moms (a free meal, appetizer, dessert or drink) if you go out to eat on Mother's Day or maybe on Saturday, too.
• Lots of signs and specials at restaurants and other stores.
• The week after Mother's Day, all the kids are off for fall break.  (This isn't at every single school, but quite a lot of them, including Miss M's school and those of her friends.)

Moms walked in to a shower of rose petals.

The pin they gave to all moms.

Baskets to win (2-3 names drawn per class; I didn't win)

Theme was "The Best Mom in the World" and this is a class
with all of the highlighted countries represented in costume.

Miss M's class (Mexico)

 Here is video of Miss M with her big Spanish debut.  She did a great job of talking right into the microphone, even persevering through technical difficulties when the mic didn't work at first.  So proud.

Picture with my Mexican dancer and bug bitten little one

A photo booth opportunity (missing M who went back to school,
a block or two away from the program venue)

In my own family, Dave was kind enough to create a Mother's Day week, with something special in the days before and including Mother's Day.  He had time for me to go out by myself and do some errands, special food, a special breakfast on Mother's Day with handmade cards from the girls and chocolate, and I got to pick the restaurant for our weekly date lunch and our Family Friday.  And on Mother's Day, I got to do whatever I wanted, which ended up being a deep conditioning treatment for my hair.  I know, I live on the edge.  But it's the kind of thing I'm supposed to do regularly but almost never do, so it was actually a treat.

Homemade cards, flowers, a fruit and cheese plate,
chocolate and a special homemade breakfast.

My only concern is how I'm going to even come close to matching this for Father's Day (although I've learned that there isn't nearly the same reverence for fathers here, almost none of the hoopla that exists for Mother's Day.)  More to come in a future post when we've experienced a Father's Day here.

The Holiday Series

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Advent

Christmas

New Years

Easter

Mother's Day (that's this one)