Fairs; then and now

Fact 1

26 FAIRS; THEN AND NOW

Did you know that almost every country in the world has a fair during the year? That’s because fairs are a cultural tradition everywhere. People were going to fairs in ancient Rome and Greece and even before then around the Mediterranean Sea.

People didn’t travel very far from home, so the fairs were very popular. You could buy exotic materials from far away lands and meet people from different towns.

At first, the fairs were only commercial but then the merchants realized that they could take advantage of the townspeople going to their religious services. They started organizing fairs around certain religious and holy days. The merchants wanted the church to participate. Glossary

merchants: (pl.n.) buyers and sellers of commodities for profit.

Go to page 11 Activity Book The churches became very involved in the organization and safety of the fair and the merchants. They also received benefits by having the fair on holy ground. When townspeople found out that the fair was in town, they all wanted to go to church.

All children, at any time in history, loved the fair. There weren’t any fancy rides, like today. But there were all sorts of games that they could join. Or they could participate in the animal shows. Kids dreamed having their farm animal win a prize.

Little by little, fairs around the world evolved by adding new attractions. First, organizers added food contests. That was easy because most housewives could bake cakes, pies, and cookies, then they added the best local dish.

Rides, like the carousel and the Ferris wheel, were added in more modern times, and since then more complicated rides were added year after year. The scarier the ride, the more popular it became. Of course, visitors wanted to spend the whole day at the fair.

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Fairs in different countries have different types of local food. American fairs have hamburgers, corn dogs, and pizzas. Fairs in England have fish and chips, baked beans and shepherd's pie. Fairs in Mexico have dishes like pozole, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, and many more. Glossary

baked: (past tense v.) to cook by dry heat especially in an oven. shepherd's pie: (n.) a meat pie with a mashed potato crust.

Glossary

spread: (v.) to distribute over an area. In 1765, the first Canadian fair was presented, and from there, they spread all over both Canada and the USA. Fairs in Mexico actually can be traced to before the conquest. There were “fiestas” with food and dance after their religious ceremonies.

Today, fairs in Mexico have become great events that include rides, delicious food and great entertainment. The San Marcos fair is one of the oldest. It was started in 1828 and lasted one whole month. It was set up around a church, but people sold their farming goods and animals. The fair continues to this day.

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