What happened NOB is people somehow got to busy or full of priorities to stop and enjoy the time with family and friends.
I'm not saying that there is a complete void of 'family Sunday" NOB, but it is nowhere like it was years ago and nowhere like it still is in Mexico.
On a recent trip NOB, I realized that very few and I mean very few people invite or have functions at their homes anymore. Nowhere like it was in the good ol' 50's,60's,70's and even 80's. Now the only social interaction is " hey let's get together for lunch or dinner at (put in a local restaurant ).
It seems that everyone is too busy to host or perhaps to lazy to go through the effort to invite people over for a meal.
To add insult to injury, the last few times I have been at a restaurant and scanned the room, it is common to see families and others all sitting at the table with their necks angled at 45° staring at their latest screen of their smartphone. Nice social intervention.
I asked several friends and they all said the same thing, "we're all too busy nowadays to put together dinners and besides it easier to just go out to dinner somewhere".
In Mexico it is still cherished the social interaction of friends and family getting together each week.
If you were to ask me what is paramount of my best first impressions of the country and culture, I would have to answer the Sunday get together.
I am not saying that we do weekly Sunday dinners for everyone, but that it is just common and customary to get together with your friends more often than NOB. If I had any family left, I know that is something that would still be happening, kind of like the families of the immigrants that still do that NOB.
In fact the only remaining people that I know that still religiously do that are 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants with large extended families. To that, I take off my hat to you! I doubt that grandma would allow anyone sitting at the table, playing with the smart phone during those dinners.
Anyway, my other favorite thing about Sundays in Mexico that most of the stores and business are closed. That is something I fondly remember growing up, you did all your stuff doing the week or half day on Saturdays. Perhaps a lone liquor store might be open, but for the most part CLOSED.
Now, stores are open 24 hours, 7 days a week NOB and in Morelia with the addition of the mega stores, they are now open 7 days a week. At least for now, you hardly ever see anything open past 9 in the evening.
Sundays are meant to not work, to enjoy a day off, to go to church if that's your option, to visit and to go for a drive and to just interrupt the day to day stuff that we all have going on. I for one, look forward to Sunday, knowing that day will be slow, relaxing and even sometimes filled with a welcome social event.
People still enjoy coming over, tossing some Arracherra on the grill, couple of chiles' some chorizo wrapped in foil, some green onions all making a delicious and simple get-together meal. Along with the adults the kids come and play soccer or other kick the ball games and for a few hours enjoy each other.
Simple pleasures....
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