Mother's Day in Mexico

Live music in a family restaurant, a convoy of five cars, and busy ad hoc flower stalls. These were a few of the indications that this was slightly different from any other day.

"Dia de las madres" translates easily into English but does does the day mean the same as it does in England? And do mothers have the same status as they do elsewhere? These are the questions your intrepid reporter set out to answer.

Just after my arrival in Mexico in December I saw that the local taxi rank put on quite a decently organised street party for the national day of the Virgin of Guadaloupe. I noticed another local taxi rank organising a proper binge, but without the ents (and still touting for business by the way). The latter celebration was a very male affair and if it was in honour of a virgin mother it couldn't have been a more amusing pretext.

I heard that mothers are held in the very highest regard in Mexico, which, apparently, explains why their good name is taken in vain in the very foulest of expletives.

chinga tu madres = f*** your mother
hijo de su puta madre = child of a whore
chingada madre = the mother's f*****
vale madres = I don't care, which I assume is an abbreviated form of "it's worth a f***** mother"
hasta la madre = it's f*****
poca madre = f****** cool

I think it would be totally incorrect to suggest that "madres" in itself is a rude word. No, the mothers are a cultural touchstone which define Mexico and Mexican Spanish. The juxtaposition of "madre" and "chingar" is used for shock but in some short expressions chingar is dropped but is still implied. "Madres" seems to me to be be just about the most commonly used colloquial word, and also one that is interchangeable in just about any situation. This certainly makes it quite hard for a foreigner to get hold of.

From my experience of life and society in Mexico I would say that the mother is very important. Families get together on a bigger scale than I ever experienced in England and I think this is down to the influence of the mother.

My mother-in-law, or "suegra" is Sofia too. As I lost my mum I asked my Sofia to lend me hers once in a while and she kindly agreed. Her mum Sra Sofia also kindly agreed, so we have good relationships all round. We've lived here with Sofia's parents for getting on for 6 months. I really could not have imagined getting on so well. Sofia's mum's good humour has definitely helped.