Angelina looked at the calendar and sighed. It was Cinco de Mayo, and she was missing one of her favorite holidays. Back at her old home, everyone would be getting ready to celebrate. Angelina wished she were back in Puebla with her friends. She often dreamed of returning to Mexico. Things were so different in Texas. Sometimes she thought she would never get used to it. It was hard to believe that so much had changed in just one year. “May 5 is probably just another day here in Texas,” Angelina said to herself.

Angelina thought of the Cinco de Mayo parade her family had attended the previous year in Puebla. She remembered how the parade route had looked last year. It was always decorated with beautiful Mexican flags. Each year her family would wake up early and hurry to the parade. If they got there too late, they wouldn’t get a good spot where they could see everything.

However, today Papá had gotten the family up early, but it wasn’t for a parade. He had business downtown. Angelina hoped Papá would take the family out for a hamburger later for lunch.

Thinking about food made her miss the holiday even more. She knew that many booths were already lining the parade route in Puebla. She wished she could be there eating mole. It was her favorite food. She thought of the thick, spicy-sweet sauce spread over chicken. Then she felt even more homesick.

At last it was time to go. As Angelina and her parents got into their car, Angelina asked, “What kind of business do you have to do, Papá?”

“I just have to see a few people downtown,” he replied. Angelina thought she saw him wink at Mamá.

“He probably thinks I’m too young to understand,” she thought.

Before long they were making their way through the downtown streets. Angelina thought the streets were unusually crowded. Then she saw a line of people forming on each side of the city’s main street. Could it be a parade? “Papá, what is this?” she asked excitedly.

“Why, it’s the Cinco de Mayo parade, of course,” he said, laughing. “You didn’t think we would miss it just because we moved to Texas, did you?”

“I don’t understand,” Angelina said. “Isn’t Cinco de Mayo a Mexican holiday?”

“Yes, of course,” Papá said. “But many families like us have moved from Mexico and now live in Texas. Other Mexican families have been in Texas a very long time. To remember their past, people celebrate Cinco de Mayo here, too.”

Angelina couldn’t believe it. Suddenly the whole day seemed brighter. After Papá parked the car, Angelina and her parents found a good spot where they could watch the parade. Soon Angelina heard the boom of a drum and the sounds of a large marching band playing Mexican music. Angelina tapped her foot and nodded her head to the beat. Next came the dancers, followed by a mariachi band. The women twirled around in their red, blue, and orange dresses to the band’s music. Their full skirts spread straight out as they spun past the crowds of people. The men in their fancy black-and-gold suits danced around the women. One dancer even pulled Angelina from the crowd to dance with him. She had never thought she would have such fun today!

After the parade Angelina’s family walked across the street to the many booths set up there. The smell of food filled the air. Angelina asked Papá and Mamá to take her straight to a booth that sold mole. The mole had never tasted so good! While they ate, the family enjoyed listening to a mariachi band. Angelina clapped and sang along to her favorite songs as the band played.

Angelina’s family spent the whole day at the celebration. That night red, green, and gold fireworks flashed brightly against the black sky. The show ended, and it was finally time to leave. Angelina smiled as they walked back to the car. She suddenly felt that Texas was a lot more like home.