Submitted by Valeria Lopez, Community Health Educator
El Día del Niño (Children’s Day), which is celebrated annually on April 30th, is a significant event for all children in Mexico. After Christmas, this is the most anticipated celebration all year. In Mexico, large parties are hosted, and classes are paused in certain primary schools to honor the children of the community.
In 1924, Mexico’s President, Alvaro Obregon, designated April 30 as the official occasion for raising awareness and remembering children as vulnerable and reaffirming their rights to full, thorough, and joyful development.
A most memorable Día del Niño
On this date, one of the most wonderful memories I have is from fourth or fifth grade. At school, they cooked special treats, organized activities outside the classroom, and transformed the entire day into pure enjoyment. After class, I recall my parents taking me to a park where there was a clown show, games, raffles, and more activities for me and all my friends. It was indeed a memorable day, and one devoted to pampering youngsters of all genders, abilities, intellect levels, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
“The most effective approach to raise excellent children is to make them happy.” -Oscar Wilde
What can we do to support children year-round?
The World Health Organization states that an estimated one billion children are abused physically, sexually, emotionally, or via neglect on a global scale, and that all this violence is preventable. May it be that by assisting in the reduction of violence and neglect toward children, we could see a drop in the number of teenagers who experiment with drugs or begin down the wrong road at an early age?
Children’s Day serves as a reminder of children’s inherent right to be cared for and valued, to not be criticized based on their physical appearance, intellectual or physical ability, and to be loved and respected. This mantra teaches them the great value they can offer the world simply by being themselves.
