Dia de la Razas.....Paid Holiday in Mexico?

Our gardener turns up today, Monday, October 12, to say he doesn't have to work today because it's a paid holiday in Mexico...  Is that true?

No.

Mandated Federal Holidays in Mexico:
​
January 01 - New Years Day
1st Monday of February - Constitution Day
3rd Monday of March - Benito Juarez Birthday
May 01 - Labor Day
September 16 - Independence Day
3rd Monday of November - Revolution Day
December 01 (Every 6 years) - New president of Mexico
December 25 - Christmas Day

Hmmm... time to have a chat with that gardener...

Had to look it up...

Why is El Dia La Raza celebrated?
Día de la Raza in many countries is seen as a counter to Columbus Day . It is used to resist the arrival of Europeans to the Americas and is used to celebrate the native races.

Día de la Raza is the celebration of the Hispanic heritage of Latin America and brings into it all the ethnic and cultural influences making it distinctive. It is celebrated on October 12 in Argentina , Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador , Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

What strikes me as odd is that so many MX cities' and villages' main streets remain named after Columbus, including the main drag here in Ajijic.

Jubilacion wrote:Had to look it up...

Why is El Dia La Raza celebrated?
Día de la Raza in many countries is seen as a counter to Columbus Day . It is used to resist the arrival of Europeans to the Americas and is used to celebrate the native races.

Día de la Raza is the celebration of the Hispanic heritage of Latin America and brings into it all the ethnic and cultural influences making it distinctive. It is celebrated on October 12 in Argentina , Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador , Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

It's pretty safe to assume that the info you get on this board will be accurate, especially about things like this. I, too, started off in Mexico in disbelief, saying things like "Left turn on arrow only?" and "Any idiot knows you don't drive into the centre of the roundabout before you try to get out again!", and that the "Shave and a haircut" doorknock rythm is consider rude, and so on.

BisbeeGal wrote:What strikes me as odd is that so many MX cities' and villages' main streets remain named after Columbus, including the main drag here in Ajijic.  

In SJC, the main east/west street is Porfirio Diaz, and in GDL you have a street named after Cortez; they are not exactly, all Mexican, Jack Armstrong types.  Many streets named after Francisco "Pancho" Villa, also not biblically pure.
And how many streets and areas are named after ex-presidentes, so called "emporers", and other assorted heads of the government from the past, that were deemed at least somewhat corrupt (as long as they were Mexican, no such honor for Maximiliano Hapsburg )

There was only one, and probably ever will be, only one, Lazaro Cardenas.....
You can´t name every street in Mexico.....Lazaro Cadenas.....

ComputerGuy wrote:Hmmm... time to have a chat with that gardener...

 

If he threatens you with some kind of Labor retaliation, tell him you are going to file a denúncia for fraud, against him.

Slainte, The entire point of Dia de la Raza and the reason it is celebrated on Oct. 12th (Columbus Day in many countries), is to point out the horrors of the Spanish Conquest in N. America.

The idea is to rename Calles de Colon, so as not to honor Columbus.

Doesn't have to be a person; though I'd vote for Calle Frida Kahlo.

BisbeeGal wrote:Slainte, The entire point of Dia de la Raza and the reason it is celebrated on Oct. 12th (Columbus Day in many countries), is to point out the horrors of the Spanish Conquest in N. America.

The idea is to rename Calles de Colon, so as not to honor Columbus.  

Doesn't have to be a person; though I'd vote for Calle Frida Kahlo.    

....and South America.....Cristobal Colon never set foot in Mexico, it was Hernán Cortez that lead the conquistadores in Mexico and killed or enslaved more Mexicans than Colon could imagine, as he had died by the time Cortez conquered Mexico.
I was just answering your comment on the naming of streets, not passing judgement for or against, the names that are used.
Another name you will never see, is Malinche, more Mexican than Colon.......
Maybe that´s why on calle Colon, there is a " no reperación de baches, poliza".....¿quién sabe?

I think more than vilifying Colon, Día de la Raza was created and is celebrated for the uniqueness of the majority Meztizo race in Mexico, which encompasses about 80% of the population. Colon means very little in history books in this country. None of my children, or grandchildren, have been taught to hate Colon or his evil deed.  
Cortez?.... a different matter.

Yes Cortez is a different matter. When I first saw the Danza de la Pluma that tells the story of la Raza and Cortes and his soldiers conquering Moctezuma and the Aztecas and procreating with the Malinche/Doña Marina , I was very confused because none of the Danzantes representing Cortez and his men wore Spanish outfits.. I later found out that no indigenous would wear a Spanish costume to represent Cortez so all the Danzantes wore indigenous outfits...

Well, after a little discussion with the gardener, and me pointing out it was not a paid holiday, he apologized, saying someone had given him bad information, and offered to make up the lost time - 4 hours. All is well again!