Dia del Niño

I remember as a child asking my mom, “Why is there a mother’s day and a father’s day but there isn’t a day for kids??” She responded by pointing out that moms and dads work constantly to keep the small ones alive for little to no recognition; lovingly providing the essentials for life while also occasionally buying us things we don’t need like ice cream, clothes we want, toys we just “have to have”, etc. 

“Every day is the child’s day,” she told me, and she was right. That has stuck with me, which is why I initially had some trouble understanding the HUGE deal that is made over Dia del Niño in Honduras.

After hearing the perspectives of my girls, I have a better understanding of the day. Yulema says that Dia del Niño is the holiday she looked forward to most as a child. 

In the states we have Halloween, which is basically just about candy, and though Christmas has a deeper meaning, because of Santa Claus and other traditions it is the day that many children look forward to most in the year. 

To many Hondurans, Santa Claus is a weird story about an old man that never came to visit them or anyone they know, and Christmas is a day to spend at Church or with your family that may include a special meal. (That is not true for all Hondurans. However, it pretty much covers the ones that I’m working with.)

Dia del Niño happens in Honduras on September 10, and all around the country there are fiestas and celebrations galore. It’s a huge deal.

This year, the new church in Contamal asked Stacy to help them out by donating something (like a cake) to make their first Dia del Niño special. So I went with Stacy and the kids to deliver her pretty cake and spend the morning at the Dia del Niño celebration. The church members in Contamal chipped in for a piñata and food, which in my mind automatically makes it a pretty fun party.

Children and adults alike had a great time. There was a Bible lesson, games, a piñata, food (since obviously it isn’t a party without tortillas, and in this case fried rice), and cake. We were there for about 4 hours. It was a great way for this new church to reach out to the community and provide a special/fun day of activities for their children. I was happy to be a part of it! Yet another cultural experience to check off the list..:)