Mother’s Day means mucho dinero in Mexico

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Today is Mother’s Day in Mexico, as it is every May 10, but instead of a sappy greeting card, mothers here get the day off from government jobs and many businesses.

Even factories cut moms loose at lunchtime. Families visit cemeteries. Children give home-made cards. And the traffic is mostly families taking the afternoon off.

It’s not all roses. Despite the deep reverence for mothers by their Mexican families, women’s rights here are still lagging badly. And it’s not like mom can spend her day off enjoying the peace and quiet: schools close early after Mother’s Day pageants and festivals.

But Mexico City restaurants have been packed, with mothers spilling onto the sidewalks in clumps of spring pastels. Mothers were also being celebrated Thursday in El Salvador, Guatemala and Chile.

Making mom’s day doesn’t come cheap. Flower vendors were asking two to three times their usual rates, and mariachi bands were charging as much as $20 a song.

Posted by Sam Enriquez and Cecilia Sanchez in Mexico City