Often times Monday is a holiday for Masons

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 I wrote in another post about masons in the Yucatan.  They are a proud tradition and a highly sought-after skill.  Some of them, like masons everywhere, take years to develop their skill set, and various years of experience yield various levels of skill.

In the post I wrote September 19th, I mentioned about getting my Architect to help train two of my labors in the most basic masonry skill of building a masonry rock wall.   I also mentioned that in Yucatan, (and possibly all Mexico?  I don't know) you refer to a mason with his title before his name, just like an Architect, or Doctor or Lawyer.  You might say Mason Julio can you help me?  Or Architect Edwin, what is this symbol.  If a friendship develops between you and the person, then there could be first names used instead.   In the same way, the mason would refer to me as Don-My-Name.

A week ago on Monday, one of the men who is on my construction crew and is by profession a Mason did not show up for work.  Everyone else was there and going about their various projects and working around the masonry work that needed to be done.   After a while I said something to Architect Edwin, about where is Mason Elmer?   He grinned and said, "San Lunas Day", and said it as though I'd know what he meant.  I guess I looked puzzled, and he tried to explain but it was difficult to translate.  I ended up having to speak with my lady in pueblo who translates Mayan for me, and she laughed.   She said, it's the Mason's holiday if they need one.  I was more puzzled.

Later, a businessman that I've become friends with, in the pueblo, and who I get my building materials from, told me the story.  Since Masons are fairly well paid for their skill set, and certainly paid more than just laborers, and since almost all Mexicans in the trades work 5.5 days a week, Sunday is always a "celebration" day for laborers.  If you notice driving around any city or even the smallest pueblo, there are beer stores everywhere.  And beer is the way to celebrate on Sundays especially.

Apparently, it is frequent for Masons to celebrate too much on Sundays and if they do, then it is a given that they won't be at work on Monday.   Hence, San Lunas name for the day.  Saint Lunas Holiday.   If it happens, you're just expected to understand and go with it.  And that's what I did.  Today he was back at work and did an excellent job and none of the other men seemed resentful because he was after all, a Mason!



This building is the bodega for the solar panel controls and batteries.  Since it sits next to the Casa I thought it should look like a Mini-Casa




 


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