May 6 - Feast of the Burning Bush - Mexico

Whilst the 5th of May is famous all around the world as Cinco de Mayo, a celebration of an unlikely Mexican victory over the French, a lesser know holiday, Mexico's version of Boxing Day, (another pointless holiday) is Seis De Mayo (6 May). Not known until 1907, Seis De Mayo, or Feast of the Burning Bush Day gained both notoriety and fame when young Jose Morego, with nothing much to do the day after Cinco de Mayo, used the matches from the previous days fireworks celebration to set fire to a small shrub in his parents back yard.

As he danced around the burning shrub in delight, he didn't notice the spark that jumped into his pocket and set off the fireworks he was still carrying from the previous day. Young Jose woke up 3 days later and assisted humanity by not being able to procreate and transfer his stupid gene to future generations. His parents however, did not wish the shame of his stupidity to transfer to the family name, so they concocted the story that a vision had come from the sky and in a flash of lightning instructed the young Jose that the world would end on February 18 1958.

Mexicans, being both deeply religious and highly superstitious, immediately believed the story and adopted young Jose as a prophet. After his untimely death at the hands of a ruthless mob on 19 February 1958 (when the truth became all too clear) his story was commemorated every Seis De Mayo by firework displays and the public proclomation of this specially written poem by Nobel Laureate, G Nino Hernandez,

Un muchacho bailó ronda una zarza ardiente, sus bolsillos llenos de galletas. Uno cayó entre las piernas y destruyó off tanto sus instalaciones.*




Young Jose after the accident counting down the time till the end of days. Notice the crossed legs.

 *A rough English translation : A boy danced round a burning bush, his pockets full of crackers. One fell down between his legs and blew off both his knackers.