The Grand Fiesta

Fiesta: “Ole, Ole”
Mexican: “Si si, Si si”
Rocket: “Zoooooo-oom”
Castillo: “Ahhhhhhh”

Today is the Grand CASTILLO, a special FIESTA day in the village. It is the day
that the village honors it’s patron saint, as does every MEXICAN village once
each year.

In the afternoon, there is a parade up and down the streets. At night the most
important part of the FIESTA takes place. All day long everyone waits impatiently
for the CASTILLO.

CASTILLO really means castle. To the MEXICANS, it means a special kind of
fireworks display that is part of almost every MEXICAN FIESTA. Men have
fastened ROCKETS and pinwheels to a light framework which is shaped like a
castle. All of the MEXICANS in the village contribute money to buy this
CASTILLO.

When it begins to grow dark, the people crowd around. The band plays, the boys
and girls wear costumes. At last someone steps forward and lights a ROCKET
near the bottom of the CASTILLO. It sputters, then zooms high into the air to
burst with a wonderful display of red and green light. The pinwheel catches fire
and whirls around and around, sending out showers of white sparks. Then the
next ROCKET goes off, and the next pinwheel. One after another all the
ROCKETS zoom into the sky. Then darkness settles. The CASTILLO has burned
out.

The band plays again and everyone buys refreshments. Nobody is in a hurry.
They have had a grand CASTILLO tonight and later they will have another, with
eight stories. That CASTILLO will last a long time.

At last the FIESTA is over. There will be another FIESTA soon. All the
MEXICAN’S work hard, but they know it is not good to work all the time. They
know that FIESTAS are important too. One Mexican says: “To save money with
no purpose is foolish. But to save money for a new tractor or for a FIESTA, that is
wise”.

(Adapted from a story in “The First Book of Mexico”.)