Little Marchers for Independence Day


Blue and white.  September is the month of blue and white - from balloon arches and tissue paper streamers to little flags fluttering from car windows, El Salvador's national colors paint the month of September.


In small towns and municipalities, Independence Day celebrations are led by school administrators, teachers and band directors.  Parades and fiestas pop up throughout the month, but the big day is September 15th.  Streets are blocked off, big stages with giant speakers are set up in front of mayor's offices, Ministry of Education officials prepare their speeches, and little children practice the pledge to the flag.


This year, I marched with our community family circle (like a preschool for parents and kids from age 0 to 4).  The littlest marchers in Salvadoran Independence Day parades dress is costumes that reflect their future career choices.  They walk beside their moms or dads, and usually end up being carried for a good portion of the parade.  The creativity and stamina of the parents is impressive.  By the end of the parade, the little ones and parents were ready for a slice of pizza, a cold drink and a nap.

Here are a few photos of the tiny marchers:

Check out these professionals!

Lining up to start the parade

This flight attendant made it to the end of the first block
before needing a little help from Mom.

The lawyer gives a little legal advice to the soccer coach.

One family with a general physician and a surgeon, and the vet with her dad.

The police officer needed a little help too.

Kindergarten marchers in traditional attire.

The kindergarten drum corps

Tiny twirlers

Each dance group performed in the intersection

These older students marched with the flags of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala,
Nicaragua and Costa Rica, celebrating the independence of Central America

Pizza time!

Piloting a plane takes a lot out of a little guy.

Dad takes over the flight attendant's job while she takes a nap

Delicious!

Families meet up at a school where the students received cold drinks
and donuts.  September is also the month of the donut - 2 for 1 at
Mister Donut!


For a brief story from a year ago...
Happy Independence Day

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Plant that Came from Nowhere and Grows Everywhere

Image
I am a plant person - a plant person without a garden or a yard or a farm. We have porches.  Porch Pot (©Linda Muth, 2023) It's pretty amazing to see what will grow on a porch.  I like to experiment with what might be considered garbage from things I get at the grocery store. Most Salvadoran produce is not hybrid, so saved seeds will germinate. Herbs are sold with the roots, so it sometimes works to cut off most of the herbs and stick the roots into a pot. I am currently experimenting with some little chunks of ginger that were no longer edible.  After a couple of weeks in the soil, the roots are sprouting nice little stalks and leaves. Ginger sprouting (©Linda Muth, 2023) Frequent travel makes porch gardening extra challenging. One option is to grow for a while and then give plants away.  One time, I left a bucket of basil, rosemary and other herbs with Pastor Santiago's mom, and it produced abundantly until Santiago cut off too much. (He told me he was grateful for the learni
Read more

The Morro Tree

Image
Cihuatán is an archeological site which lies just north of Aguilares. Amidst the Mayan ruins, which are definitely worth seeing, you will also find some of the local flora and fauna of the area. This area north of Guazapa has become cattle country, and, according to the locals, some of the wealthy cattle producers have their eye on this property. The security guards and barbed wire fences do a pretty good job of keeping cows off of the site, but nothing can keep the goats from enjoying a good run in the field. The wide variety of bird calls, the tinkling of the goat bells, and the low moos in the distance create a peaceful atmosphere in which to enjoy the ruins and have a relaxing, yet very hot, walk with friends. Surrounding the large hill which was constructed to support the main temple, there is a broad, grassy field, dotted with trees. Pablo, our driver and friend, said that during the war, there was a lot of looting of this site. People drove big trucks in to take the rocks
Read more

The Legend of El Tabudo

After we returned from Lake Coatepeque , I wondered if there were any interesting folk stories about the lake.  It felt like one of those special places - a little bit quiet, hidden in a caldera, deep blue water, lots of fish.  Thanks to Gloria and Guillermo, I learned this story... The legend of El Tabudo has become very popular among fishermen, residents and visitors to Lake Coatepeque and has spread so much that people tell the same legend of all lakes and lagoons of El Salvador. It seems that the owner of a beautiful mansion located on the shores of Lake Coatepeque went for a ride in a traditional hand-made canoe.  As he came near the island he was swept away by an underground stream and carried to the realm of the goddess of fresh water, never to be seen alive again.  A few months later he appeared to the people who were looking after his property which they had inherited. They were astonished and confused when they saw him because his knees had widened so much that l
Read more