January 4th, 2013
Fiesta Mexicana for Friday, January 4
Today was our Mexican Fiesta! (Pics here.) We started by making farolitos (little lanterns) out of paper and reading a book called El Regalo de Navidad (The Gift of Christmas).
We then started our own Los Posadas. We went to the cafeteria and the office, and they wouldn’t let us in for shelter, but parents in our class finally gave us shelter and we started our fiesta! We sang Noche de Paz (Silent Night) and El Rodolfo El Reno De La Nariz Roja (can you guess what song that is). We then went outside for sparklers!
We came back in to take a whack at the piñata. It lasted long enough for almost everyone to take a swing! Then we headed back to the room to eat. The menu included:
- Mexican-style tacos on corn tostada shells;
- Spicy shredded chicken eaten with torn flour tortillas;
- Nopalitos (prickly pear cactus!);
- Pepinos (cucumbers with lemon juice and salt);
- Mexican hot chocolate (hot chocolate with cinnamon); and,
- Buñelos (fried flour tortillas with cinnamon and sugar).
Later, we played the Dreidel game and “Toma Todo,” a Mexican top game much like the Jewish dreidel. Students start with ten beans, then take or put in beans as the top says. The person with the winning amount of beans could select a Mexican pop.
A grande-sized thanks to the parents who helped prepare and serve food today at the fiesta, and for all the generous donations–we had more than enough food and everyone had their fill!
Feliz Navidad!