What were Emiliano Zapata's favorite pastimes

Emiliano Zapata has dazzled in Mexican history as one of the most important heroes of the 20th century, this is due to his multiple victories during the Mexican Revolution, his active struggle for the rights of peasants and his eternal search for freedom and justice.

Much is said about his career as a military man and his intervention in the country's politics, however, little is known about his personal life, his aspirations and his hobbies. The so-called Caudillo de Sur grew up in a lower-middle-class family that was always united and hardworking, as explained by author Arturo Ríos.

There is no doubt that his agrarian struggle was always legitimate, since his love for the land began when he was very young. Since August 8, 1879 (the date on which Zapata was born) he was close to work in the countryside, since his father, Gabriel Zapata, dedicated himself to taking care of his crops, which were the financial support for his family for a long time.

Even, according to an article in the Chamber of Deputies, it could be said that his taste for defending crops was naturally in his roots, since Anenecuilco, the town in which Emiliano grew up and lived, was characterized since Colonial times as one of the areas in which residents were organized to fight for their territories.

The defense of the land became an element of collective identity among the inhabitants of the site, in fact, thanks to this, several inhabitants were able to preserve their plots despite attempts by the authorities to expropriate them.

However, planting and eating watermelons were not his only hobbies, the same source points out that from a young age he became a lover of Mexico's past, because when he was studying primary school he always stood out for his knowledge in Spanish, arithmetic and mainly history.

The Morelian said that he knew his taste for history thanks to the classes given to him by his teacher Emilio Vara, who, apart from being an expert in the field, was the living memory of some battles in the 19th century, because he always told his students his anecdotes about when he faced Maximilian of Habsburg's troops and the conservatives during the Second Mexican Empire.

In addition, the sociologist Felipe Ávila comments that the Caudillo del Sur grew up listening to the experiences of his uncles Cristino and José María, since on several occasions they detailed to him the adventures they had when they were part of Benito Juárez's army.

They, like their teacher, fought on the side of the liberal side during the Reformation War, a fact that not only aroused their interest in warfare, but also caused the revolutionary to feel a great admiration for the Merciful of the Americas.

Apart from cultivation and history, another of Emiliano Zapata's hobby, and the most important in his life, was horseback riding. He always said that these were his favorite animals, so his father, who, in addition to being a day laborer at the Mapaztlán farm, was dedicated to the sale of cattle and horses, decided to give his son his first mare.

The gift she received would be one of the elements that would change her life, since it was there that she learned her riding skills at a very young age. He learned to tame it in a very short time, a fact that soon led him to stand out in the village as one of the youngest riders.

In part, his taste for various animals arose because he grew up feeding and caring for his family's livestock. When he became an adult, he enjoyed smoking cigars and drinking coffee or atole.

Finally, there is no doubt that all these characteristics were a fundamental part of his identity as a Mexican and as a revolutionary.

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