Mexican Mothers Feted on Their Day

Hundreds of residents across the county celebrated Dia de Las Madres (Mother’s Day) on Friday with a festival in Santa Ana honoring their mothers and grandmothers, while thousands more placed long-distance telephone calls to their mothers in Mexico.

In that country and others, Dia de Las Madres falls on May 10 and families traditionally mark the holiday with picnics, serenades and a Catholic Mass.

Many Latinos this year practiced the Mexican Dia de Las Madres customs Friday and plan to do so again today and Sunday. Sunday is Mother’s Day in the United States.

On Friday, about 400 people attended a special tribute to mothers and grandmothers on 4th Street in Santa Ana. The women were treated to free movies, free lunch, live Mexican music, bingo games, flowers and gifts, donated by the downtown merchants.

“It was so nice,” said 71-year-old Eva Ruelas of Santa Ana. “It reminded me of what it’s like in Mexico.”

Long-distance telephone operators said Friday that all circuits to Mexico and other Latin American countries were busy because of the holiday. “Mexican Mother’s Day is so busy, we have extra operators working today,” said Leola Whitton, an AT&T; operators supervisor based in Houston.

Today, mothers are being invited to a party in their honor in Fullerton.

Jimmy Ramos, founder of La Escuelita del Pueblo, a makeshift school where he teaches English to neighbors, said the celebration will include a Mexican folkloric dance show, poetry and other entertainment.

The party will be at Ramos’ home at 334 E. Truslow Ave.

“Mothers are always working hard for us,” Ramos said.

“They stand by us and love us no matter what, and they deserve to be honored today and every day.”