Pouring Day ... and celebrating builders, Cozumel style

After an evening with full moon (a coincidence not a tradition!), and despite the weather forecast for thunderstorms, our “Pouring Day” arrives with full sun. It is the first really hot day for some time, with temperatures reaching into the high 90’s, a blue sky and minimal puffy white clouds to ease the heat and glare.



My builder has decided to mechanize for this considerable task and has rented a concrete mixer, it arrives early at 8. Our bags of cemento are stacked high, our grava and arena are in piles around the house and we are ready to go. Neighbors notice the preparations and call to visit. There is an air of anticipation around the place.



Once mixing is underway the cement is carried in buckets from the street to the poolside and poured into the huge extraordinary pool mould. One person is then responsible for making sure it is all well packed in place without air pockets. He constantly shakes the varilla rods and digs the mix with a trowel and rod.


The guys work like Trojans all morning and a good part of the afternoon. There is a constant and steady flow of mixing, carrying and packing the cemen, in full sunlight, till 3.30pm. This process allows no chance to take a break.

Finally when all is done I, as property owner, am dispatched to buy the customary “Concrete Pouring Day Lunch”. The meal is of their choosing and they opt for fried chicken and trimmings from a local eatery. I also throw in some fruit and juice from other stores nearby. Once the meal is done they leave around 4.30pm leaving the concrete to “do its thing”.


Celebrating our builders …

Traditionally the owner provides lunches on such notable workdays as the pouring of a large amount of concrete and the finishing of the roof. The Día de los Albañiles (Día de la Santa Cruz, the Builders’ Saint’s day) is also a national day of celebration of builders (see below). I usually provide some food on Sundays as well, if any choose to work that day to finish a project.

The Día de los Albañiles is on 3rd of May. All builders celebrate this anniversary. On the days beforehand you will see small wooden crosses appear on the highest point of all building sites, attractively decorated with paper flowers, ribbons and streamers. The builders work half the day and the rest of the day is for fiesta and a good meal supplied by the property owner.

The little wooden crosses often remain in place for some weeks after.