When Hernan Cortez, clanking and sweating and swearing in his heavy armor, aided by thousands of Indian allies, destroyed the Aztec capital of Tenochitlan on August 13, 1521, he shattered the entire Aztec Empire.

We got there early. In the corral behind Eustacio Ortiz’s tarpaper jacal, we stacked gunny sacks of chayote, wild camote, jicama, oranges, limones, peanuts, sugared candies.

Tuesday, December 12, Mexico celebrates the moment in 1531 that Jesus’ mother in the form of the dark-complected Virgin of Guadalupe is said to have appeared to Juan Diego, a recently baptized Mejica (Aztec) peon. 

Corn is about 80,000 years old and was being harvested in western Mexico 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. Corn has cast a metaphysical spell as ancient as the appearance of the first hunter-gatherers who explored Jalisco’s llanos, cerros and arroyos as they pushed south, deeper into Mesoamerica.

Though Mexican appointment books, calendars and even Google declare that May 15 is Dia del Maestro  (Teachers Day), all of the Republic’s campesinos know better.

Sunday, February 5, Constitution Day (now celebrated on the following Monday, February 6), is one of Mexico’s most important patriotic celebrations.