Dear Kid,

We are coming up on Cinco de Mayo (“coming up on” being a euphemism for “it’s tomorrow”). If you haven’t planned your CincoCelebration (Cincobration?) yet, it’s not too late. And I am here to help. (Am I a good mother, or what?)

Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for “5^th of May” and American for “I’ll have a fifth too please.” Like many good holidays, this one has a battle or two in its history but has become an opportunity to celebrate Mexican heritage more than to remember the battle.

According to the Official Site for Information on Cinco de Mayo (www.foodnetwork.com), there are many ways to enjoy the day. Áaron Sanchez (please roll your ‘r’ when you say that) believes that brownies are better with Mexican cinnamon & chili powder. Must admit, I’d never have thought of that, but it sounds delish. One of these days, I will have to try it. Seriously. I’ll keep you posted. Stop laughing.

Also on the food network site are four b’dillion, 9 hundred gazillion, and forty-two (I counted) other recipes for CincoCelebrations. But here’s the catch: they all involve kitchens.

I know that you are quite capable in the kitchen (you are a very good cook). But I also know that dorm rooms do not typically come with the cooking equipment to make authentic Mexican food. Or even inauthentic Mexican food. You can probably unwrap something from Taco Bell, but I’m not sure that really counts. And having a pinata in your room is probably not the best idea of the day.

So here are my dorm-safe ideas for celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

1.       Say “si” a lot during the day. Throw in any other Spanish you can (but since you studied French, not Spanish, I’m guessing that’s not a lot).

2.       Go out for Mexican. Let someone else (who should probably be with his or her family celebrating this holiday) cook and clean up.

3.       Wait until you are of legal drinking age and have a margarita.

4.       Wear a sombrero. Be prepared to be ridiculed.

5.       Decorate your dorm room with taco shells. Be prepared for multi-legged guests.

6.       Locate Mexican jumping beans.

7.       Spend a few hours searching the web for ideas about celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

If all else fails, maybe the cafeteria will serve Mexican.

Let me know what else you come up with.

Happy Not Quite Cinco de Mayo,

Love, Mom