The 18th birthday of my daughter, Rachel, was cause for us to learn much about Mexican birthday customs.
The day began with a pre-dawn serenade outside the window of our tiny one-room apartment. At 4:30 a.m., we heard the sudden strumming of guitars as male voices broke into song.
"Las Mañanitas" is the traditional Mexican birthday song used for such serenades and is also what is sung at birthday parties and Saint's Day festivities.
We opened the door to find four young men, friends of Rachel, who each gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek while offering "Felicidades" (Happy Birthday).
Not long after they'd left, another group of minstrels (believing themselves to be the first) serenaded her with another round of "Las Mañanitas," as well as some love songs. This group includes a male suitor, and we've since learned that the early morning serenade is typically a romantic way to awaken a love interest at sunrise on their birthday.
In Mexico, importance is placed on an individual's third, 15th and 18th birthdays.
At age 3, toddlers are presented to the community at a birthday church service or Mass held in their honor. A celebratory meal and family gathering follows.
The celebrations at 15 and 18 are customarily reserved for young women, though some males do celebrate these with festivities.
When a young woman in Mexico turns 15, her birthday is called a quinceañera, derived from the Spanish word quince, 15, and the word for year, año.
This coming-of-age ceremony is celebrated with a church service or Mass in which the young woman, traditionally dressed in a formal pink or white gown, expresses acceptance of her role as a contributing member of society, acknowledging that her entry into womanhood brings responsibility and commitment to community service.
It is customary for the young woman, also referred to as la quinceañera, to have an escort and a court of honor, not unlike bridesmaids and groomsmen, who are present as witnesses to her commitment.
Families often organize a reception dance and/or meal, at which the quinceañera, her escort and court of honor perform waltzes. This age-old ceremony is rich with tradition that may include the young woman's father changing his daughter's shoes from school-girl flats to womanly high heels or the quinceañera giving away a symbolic "last doll" to a younger sibling.
Much like second birthdays, an individual's Saint's Day is also cause for celebration. Each day of the calendar year has a saint associated with it. Most Mexican calendars come printed with the name of a saint alongside each of the 365 dates.
As an expression of gratitude, some parents name their children after the saint pertaining to the date of their child's birth. If not and there is a saint bearing one's name, that particular Saint's Day is treated much like a birthday, with gifts and gatherings.
Birthday parties in Mexico often include the breaking of piñatas, which are filled with roasted unshelled peanuts, sugar cane and fruit such as clementines, in addition to candy.
As a practical joke, some piñatas are filled with flour so the individual breaking it receives a heavy dusting.
Many piñatas are still made by hand, their center being a clay pot into which the treats are placed. Breaking those takes a bit longer, but the pot does break into large pieces, making it less injurious than it sounds. The real risk is of the piñata falling upon one's head, as they are so heavy.
For the three hallmark birthdays, padrinos and padrinas -- informal godparents -- contribute financially or purchase items to assist the family with the celebration. Thirty to 40 godparents may be involved. Much like potluck dinners, this allows a larger celebration to be held without the family bearing the whole financial burden.
The resulting parties are large and well-attended events, complete with live music, full meals and drinking and dancing till dawn.
As Rachel blew out the candles on her cake, all those gathered began to clap and chant, "Mordida! Mordida! Mordida!"
This is how we learned of yet another birthday custom -- that of the honoree taking the first mordida, or bite, without using utensils.
Friends cheering her on, I watched a surprised but smiling Rachel place both hands behind her back as she bent forward and took a big, delicious bite from the corner of her un-cut cake.
