The Origins of Mexican Culture at Our Birthday Parties

In Mexican culture, birthdays are celebrated for hours and sometimes days. Family and friends love any excuse to get together and celebrate. A Mexican birthday starts in the early hours of the day with the morning serenade of the traditional birthday song; Las Mañanitas. The song dates back to the late 1800s and over the last two centuries has become one of the most popular songs for mariachi bands to sing at parties. It’s not only sung on birthdays, but on any day meant to honor someone, such as Mother’s Day. For birthday parties in Mexican culture, it’s more important to bring family together than just a party with friends. You will often see godparents, cousins, and uncles and aunts joining in on the party.

Piñatas are typically vessels made into the shape of an animal or other well decorated item. They are made from cardboard, paper mache, or even sometimes pottery. The container is filled with candy and small toys and hung up from a high spot that is easily reachable by the height of the players. Party-goers are blindfolded and take turns attempting to whack the piñata with a wooden stick. Eventually the piñata will succumb to the players and candy will fall to the ground to enjoy. For many Mexican families, it’s bad luck not to have a piñata at any party or celebration.

Piñatas didn’t actually originate in Mexico. European explorer Marco Polo actually discovered in on his travels to China. People would use it to help spread seed across crops. MarcoPolo brought it back to Europe where it was widely accepted in Spain before being brought across the world to the New World.

Translated to three milks cake, tres leches is a delicious and special cake often served at birthday parties. It’s a delicate sponge cake layered with different milks and fillings with a yummy layer of topping. It is a traditional cake with origins in mostly Mexico and Nicaragua and likely brought over from Europe originally.In the 1930s, Nestle came out with a recipe for Tres Leches on packages of evaporated milk, which is what many say helped boost its popularity acrossNorth America.

Did you know that the pushing of someone’s face into their birthday cake after they blow out the candles is actually a Mexican tradition? So is allowing the birthday boy or girl to be the first person to take a bite of the cake. Family members will sing and chant the words “mordida” which means to take a bite. Once the birthday person goes in to take a bite, someone behind them will push their face into the cake. It’s a tradition that’s been happening almost as long asMarco Polo’s piñata.

There are multiple times in a young person’s life that are cause for extra celebration for youth inMexico, which have also become popular within the United States as well. For example, La Quinceañera when a young girl turns 15. Like the sweet 16, and some believe the inspiration for it in North America, La Quinceañera gets a little extra celebration. Families will often come from far away to enjoy this day.Food is definitely not limited and everyone dresses up and will dance and enjoythe fiesta from early morning until late at night. The special birthday girl will also wear a special dress. Many of the traditions we enjoy at birthday parties have Mexican origins. Even the food can often be attributed to our neighbors to the south, including churros, salsa and tortillas, rice pudding, and even tacos. What are some of your favorite birthday party activity ideas?