Benito Juárez’s Birthday – a Mexican holiday
Today is a holiday in Mexico to commemorate the birthday of Benito Juárez. Juárez was of humble origin and rose to become President of Mexico around the time of the American Civil War. His true birthday is March 21, but for practical and political reasons, the Mexican government has seen fit to place it on a Monday. The choice of date so far in advance of his birthday has been criticized and lampooned by the Mexican press.
Because of his indigenous roots and formal seminary education, Benito Juárez has become an icon that reflects the mixture of races and cultures in Mexico. He fought to diminish the prejudices against indigenous peoples that were prevalent in his time. At the same time, he considered the Catholic Church to be one of the principle obstacles to Mexico’s development. For more, see Benito Juárez on Wikipedia.
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