The cloistered nuns in town celebrate their namesake order, the Immaculate Conception, on December 8th, marking when St. Anne gets pregnant with Mary. Consequently, Mary’s birthday is nine months later September 8th.
The celebrations for Baby Mary started when a nun in Mexico City in the 1700’s got a vision of Mary, as a baby, lamenting so much is done for Jesus’ birth on Christmas, her birthday is important too. Hence, the baby Mary became the image for all things baby related.
Following the culmination of weeks of my pal’s work was Baby Mary’s birthday party. I had pre-ordered cupcakes with a baby girl on them thinking my pal would have an easier time giving them to the priest and musicians than last year when I gave her two large cakes made to look like Baby Mary. (Though the cakes’ baby dolls were oddly out of proportion, looking more like the bride of Chucky than St. Joseph’s.)
Imagine my surprise when the cupcakes arrived in my hands decorated with the yellow creatures from the Despicable Me movies. Here the owner thought when I said “las Maria ninas” (the Baby Marys) I said “las minions”: Who gives minion cupcakes at Baby Mary’s birthday party?
Luckily it gave me an excuse to sneak out of mass after carrying in the baby Mary amidst falling rose petals while a live band outside the temple surreally played “New York, New York”. 
Eventually the new and improved cupcakes in alligator onsies arrived and made it to Mary’s Birthday party reminding me to never say “las Maria ninas” again when doing something as important as ordering cake!
Joseph Toone is the Historical Society’s short-story award winning author of the SMA Secrets book series. All books in the series are Amazon bestsellers in Mexican Travel and Holidays. Toone is SMA’s expert and TripAdvisor’s top ranked historical tour guide telling the stories behind what we do in today’s SMA. Visit HistoryAndCultureWalkin
