Cinco de Mayo, or five of May, is a celebration of Mexico’s victory over the French on May 5^th, 1862 at the Battle of Puebla.  While it’s not an official holiday in Mexico, public schools are closed in observance.  In the United States, the date is largely viewed as an opportunity to eat Mexican food, and drink margaritas or Corona beer.  In fact, many Americans erroneously assume Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexico’s independence.

Here are some places you can go to take part in the celebration

Mother’s Day is a unique holiday in the United States, in that it is not named for a particular person or event.  It was founded by a woman named Anna Jarvis as a way for everyone to recognize the importance of  the mother in the family.  In a time where women were still fighting for rights and men were still seen as superior, this was not an easy feat, but she did it.  In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed into law the creation of Mother’s Day as a National holiday.

As the years passed the holiday became more and more commercial with the selling of greeting cards, engraved gifts and flowers.  Anne Jarvis was concerned with the industry using this holiday as a way to make money from saying,  “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit.” She even boycotted companies and threatened to sue.

Today the tradition of  honoring one’s mother on Mother’s Day in the United States is celebrated in many different ways.  Some people take their mothers out for brunch, serve her breakfast in bed, do her chores, or take her out for dinner.  Others celebrate all of the mothers in the family by buying gifts and having a meal together.  So, whether you’re buying your mother a card or inventing a way to make her day more special, mothers should be celebrated!

“April showers bring May flowers” is a common phrase you may hear this month. April will (usually) shower us with long periods of rain followed by a beautiful blooming period. It is definitely one of the most beautiful months in New York. This season also brings many “blooming” events happening around the city.  For example, you can experience the magnificent Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Macy’s Flower Show (a stunning floral celebration of our country’s vast and varied landscapes), or the Butterfly Conservatory (where you can experience live butterflies from all over the world flying around in a tent at the Museum of Natural History).

So come out on one of our many field trips this month and feel free to ask us for more information about any of these events.

Have a great time and happy Spring everyone.