Category: Celebrations

Celebrations, featured, History

Chalupas – Small Boats with Great History

by Irene13 Comments on Chalupas – Small Boats with Great History
Chalupas – Small Boats with Great History

A chalupa is a small boat, usually rowed or poled. In the 16th century, when Spanish conquerors arrived to Central Mexico, they admired how the areas surrounding Tenochtitlan (today's Mexico City downtown area) had been developed into a system of gardens and farming parcels, seemingly floating on the lakes, interconnected by numerous small boats that they called chalupas. Around the same time, up North in Canada, another type of chalupa was playing an important role as well … click on title for more

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Celebrations, Desserts

Grageitas – Sweet Treats for St. Valentine’s Day

by Irene4 Comments on Grageitas – Sweet Treats for St. Valentine’s Day
Grageitas – Sweet Treats for St. Valentine’s Day

I remember cookies as a sweet treat for St. Valentine’s; my mom and I would often bake heart shaped cookies, which I sometimes shared with my friends, and I loved receiving small sweet tokens from them, too. Grageitas (meaning “tiny tablets” or “little sprinkles”), are a classic Mexican confection of bite-size cookies topped with rainbow-coloured sprinkles … click on title for more

Celebrations, Mexican Culture

The First Twelve Seconds – A New Year’s Tradition

by Irene13 Comments on The First Twelve Seconds – A New Year’s Tradition
The First Twelve Seconds – A New Year’s Tradition

What is the very first thing you do in the New Year? Is it watching a dropping ball, as in New York City? Kiss your loved ones, sing or hug? Pop the bubbly open and share a toast? For many people in Mexico, except for the dropping ball, all of the above, but not until everyone has emptied the glass flutes prepared for each person, with exactly twelve grapes … click on image for more

Celebrations, Mexican Cuisine

A New Year’s Eve Menu

by Irene21 Comments on A New Year’s Eve Menu
A New Year’s Eve Menu

New Year's Eve planning is still nebulous, but will probably be a quiet evening for my husband and myself (and dog), since my daughters are now at the stage of going out with their friends. When I was a kid, my family celebrated New Year's Eve the Japanese way, with an udon noodle soup dinner; once I reached the stage of partying out with friends, a formal Mexican menu, like the one in this post, could be expected … click on image for more

Celebrations

¡Feliz Navidad! Or just a “Prosperous Year and Happiness!”

by Irene4 Comments on ¡Feliz Navidad! Or just a “Prosperous Year and Happiness!”
¡Feliz Navidad! Or just a “Prosperous Year and Happiness!”

As the mistletoe has been hung, and the Christmas punch has been prepared, my family is still trying to fulfill commitments and finish some chores - at home, work, with final exams and/or volunteering - before gathering in Toronto for Christmas. I will not be bringing my laptop, so I will have minimal WI-FI exposure for a few days … click on image for more