Two Hialeah residents will have an especially joyous holiday season this year, as they will be attending a special meal instead of being the main course.
Recently, Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo joined members of the Hialeah Council for a ceremony at Palm Springs Middle School. At that time, the mayor pardoned Wilbert and Hamilton, a pair of sizeable pigs, sparing them from serving as the main attraction at a Nochebuena. Nochebuena is Spanish for “Christmas Eve,” and is also the name of a customary meal held on that day. The meal is a pig roast, which is a tradition in Southern Florida.
The two pigs will remain at Palm Springs Middle School, where staff and students will serve as caretakers for the dynamic duo.
Pardoning the porkers is similar to the official ceremony held at the White House, at which time the U.S. President pardons a turkey. President Lincoln is known as the first to save a turkey, sparing the bird’s life at the behest of his son Tad, while President Kennedy was the first to save a Thanksgiving bird. Ronald Reagan first used the word “pardon,” and the tradition was formalized by President George H.W. Bush.
Occasions like this can be enhanced if those organizing the event use methods such as banner printing to create a few appropriate decorations.
