![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/BirthdayPinata-350x233.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo taken by Ralph Hockens found on Flickr.com with license CC BY 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n
Felicitaciones!<\/h3>\n
When the big day comes, many people will congratulate you by saying\u00a0feliz cumplea\u00f1os\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0felicidades!\u00a0<\/em>We are big huggers and kissers, so don’t be surprised if someone gives you a big\u00a0abrazo<\/em> and maybe even\u00a0un beso en el cachete\u00a0<\/em>when they congratulate you. They will also wish you many more birthdays or\u00a0que cumplas muchos a\u00f1os mas.\u00a0<\/em>In some cultures, it is custom to congratulate the parents or relatives, but in Mexico, we pretty much just congratulate the\u00a0cumplea\u00f1ero!<\/em><\/p>\n A birthday without cake is not a birthday! In Mexico, we love cake (to be honest, all types of sweet food) and the\u00a0cumplea\u00f1ero\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0cumplea\u00f1era\u00a0<\/em>needs a cake. There is no specific traditional cake, and the sky is the limit. Just like in the U.S., fondant cakes are all the craze in Mexico, but there are all types of cakes for all tastes. My favorite is one from a bakery in the Mexico City neighborhood of Coyoacan. It is a mango cake with lemon icing on top. It is absolutely delicious! When I first moved to the Netherlands, I was shocked to find out the\u00a0cumplea\u00f1ero<\/em>\u00a0brings his\/her own cake to work and family gatherings. How does it work where you live?<\/p>\n Once the cake is brought out, everyone gathers to sing\u00a0Las Ma\u00f1anitas.\u00a0<\/em>While you could sing to someone the literal translation of the “Happy birthday” song, Las Ma\u00f1anitas\u00a0<\/em>are more common in Mexico. Below are the lyrics and a video of a very famous Mexican singer, Vicente Fernandez,\u00a0singing this song in mariachi style. The lyrics might vary a bit because some families like to insert the name of the\u00a0cumplea\u00f1ero.<\/em><\/p>\n https:\/\/youtu.be\/DVNGoPF-xqQ<\/p>\n After singing and before cutting the cake, the\u00a0cumplea\u00f1ero\u00a0<\/em>has to take part in the awful tradition of\u00a0la mordida\u00a0<\/em>or the bite. Some families are nice and just ask you to take a small bite and get some frosting in your nose, while others are a bit more vicious and push you down completely. There is always the\u00a0t\u00eda\u00a0<\/em>that gets mad at those that pushed and complains about the\u00a0bichos\u00a0<\/em>or germs that the\u00a0mordida\u00a0<\/em>left behind.<\/p>\n If you are celebrating someone young, a pi\u00f1ata\u00a0<\/em>is a must! In Mexico, you can get all sorts of\u00a0pi\u00f1atas\u00a0<\/em>of all types of characters from movies, celebrities, and even politicians. Traditionally,\u00a0pi\u00f1atas\u00a0<\/em>were made with a clay pot that had 5 peaks attached to it. These would be filled with fruits, sugar cane, and small toys. Each child takes turns in hitting the\u00a0pi\u00f1ata\u00a0<\/em>until it all comes tumbling down and everyone runs to get as much of the goods as possible. Nowadays, the\u00a0pi\u00f1atas\u00a0<\/em>are filled with candies and they are made out of cardboard and newspaper and not clay.<\/p>\n Pi\u00f1atas\u00a0<\/em>might sound like a dangerous part of a\u00a0party. Yes, there is usually the one kid that hits the people holding the\u00a0pi\u00f1ata\u00a0<\/em>high up, or a small child might get in the way. Because this is a normal part of the party, parents and children know to stay away and keep the little ones, who might be new to this, away from the stick.<\/p>\n While it can vary per family, you should count on taking a present to any birthday party. Envelopes with money, as is the practice in a lot of countries, are not always the best choice. It is assumed the person didn’t make time to look for a present. However, it is becoming more common to give gift cards and there is always the\u00a0abuelita\u00a0<\/em>who likes to give the\u00a0cumplea\u00f1ero\u00a0<\/em>a nice big bill as a present.<\/p>\n How do you celebrate your birthday in your country?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I love celebrating birthdays! It is a great time to eat good food, have a good time and share your good fortune with those you love most. After celebrating 6 birthdays in the Netherlands, I have a strong appreciation of how we do birthdays in Mexico. If your birthday is coming up and you are…<\/p>\nQueremos pastel pastel pastel!<\/h3>\n
La Canci\u00f3n<\/h3>\n
\n
\n\n
\n\t Estas son las ma\u00f1anitas
\nque cantaba el rey David
\na las muchachas bonitas,
\nTe las cantamos asi.
\n
\nDespierta, mi bien, despierta,
\nmira que ya amaneci\u00f3,
\nya los pajarillos cantan,
\nLa luna ya se meti\u00f3.
\n
\nQu\u00e9 linda est\u00e1 la ma\u00f1ana
\nen que vengo a saludarte
\nvenimos todos con gusto
\ny placer a felicitarte.
\n
\nEl d\u00eda en que tu naciste,
\nnacieron todas las flores,
\ny en la pila del bautismo,
\ncantaron los ruise\u00f1ores.
\n
\nYa viene amaneciendo,
\nya la luz del d\u00eda nos dio.
\nLev\u00e1ntate de ma\u00f1ana,
\nmira que ya amaneci\u00f3<\/td>This is \u201cLas Ma\u00f1anitas\u201d
\nthat King David sang
\nto the pretty girls;
\nAs we sing them to you.
\n
\nWake up, my love, wake up.
\nLook at what has dawned,
\nAlready the little birds are singing,
\nThe moon already went in.
\n
\nHow pretty is the morning
\nIn which I come to greet you.
\nWe all came with pleasure
\nand joy to congratulate you.
\n
\nOn the day you were born
\nAll the flowers were born.
\nAt the baptismal font
\nThe nightingales sang.
\n
\nIt is starting to be dawn,
\nThe day has given us light.
\nGet up in the morning,
\nLook at what has already dawned.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/blockquote>\nLa mordida<\/h3>\n
La Pi\u00f1ata<\/h3>\n
Los regalos<\/h3>\n