Mexican Independence Day.
I'm not going to start celebrating Mexican Independence while living in Spain but I'm certainly happy to help someone else enjoy their Independence Day.
I have to admit that I am very ignorant of Mexican culture and Mexican history and even when it comes to other Independence Days such as Ireland's Independence, these dates don't roll of your tongue like America's Fourth of July celebration.
Today at lunchtime, I met an English teaching friend from Chicago who was celebrating her maternal Mexican heritage with a proper colourful dress and flower headpiece.
The floral embroidered Mexican dress not only honoured her mother and maternal grandmother but the dress has been passed down from mother to daughter and then from Zoe's mother to her.
Zoe resembled Frida Kahlo with the flowers in her hair and we took a walk as far as the Museo de America to see if it was open.
The museum is not open on Mondays and after seven years passing the museum I thought it was finally time I explored the Americas.
New Spain became Mexico after more than a decade and I imagine that Spain found it difficult to fight for New Spain when poor old Spain first had to fight off Napoleon Bonaparte and his brother Joseph.
Napoleon wanted to invade Portugal and asked for permission to march through Spain which proved a very awkward request as Bonaparte decided just to take Spain when the gates were opened up without resistance.
The Mexican War of Independence lasted from 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821 but the 11 year conflict began during Spain's Peninsular War with France after Bonaparte turned on his ally Spain who had helped him to invade poor Portugal.
Zoe certainly stood out near Puerta del Sol in her traditional Mexican outfit as people rushed past her in her Frida Kahlo style dress and she was happy she decided to dress to impress for Mexican Independence Day.
Her mother had worn the colourful dress for Zoe's early Sweet Sixteenth, her fiesta de quinceañera.
New Spain is long gone and so have the other Spanish Colonies Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines.
The Philippines took their name from Philip II, the Spanish king who made Madrid the new capital of old Spain but few in the centre of Spain seemed to be celebrating the loss of their former colony.
As colourful as Frida Kahlo with some flowers in her hair.
LEMON AID: When live gives you lemons, forget making lemonade and but tequila.
What little we know of each others culture, I did get to tell her that I've heard of Zorro and I've heard he was from Ireland. Born in Wexford in 1611 a man named William Lamport later known as Guillén Lombardo is believed to be the inspiration for the foxy tale of Zorro but that is another story completely. https://www.nohemingway.com/blog/zorro
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