The mayor of Miami-Dade pardons baby pigs for Christmas, a Cuban take on the White House turkey custom

Miami, Florida – Glinda and Elphaba, the newborn pigs who are the stars of Friday’s entertainment in downtown Miami, will never have to worry about dining at a Cuban American family’s house on Christmas Eve.

In a seven-year South Florida parody of the White House custom of pardoning two turkeys at Thanksgiving, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava publicly pardoned the two piglets. The 4-month-old piglets will spend the next 12 to 15 years at an animal refuge south of Miami. They are named after the good and evil witches in the musical “Wicked.”

Outside the Latin Cafe 2000, which organized and sponsored the event, Glinda and Elphaba appeared uninterested in the ceremony and the people gathered around their makeshift pen.
About the size of plump beagles, the tan-and-black pair ate orange and apple slices when they were served. Other than that, they were intent on finding a method to eat the artificial grass that surrounded their enclosure.

Without the pardons, they may have been among the thousands of people of their kind who will be roasted whole on Tuesday by families in South Florida, Cuba, and other places in special metal boxes, underground pits, or on spits. They will be served at Nochebuena feasts as “lechon asado.”

“For many people, including myself, the holidays are the best time of year. It’s a season of appreciation. a moment when we get to see our loved ones and family again. Good food, too, of course. Levine Cava made a joke when presenting the proclamation that granted Glinda and Elphaba permanent pardon from barbecues: “So important — but not a very good time to be a pig in Miami.”

According to Eric Castellanos, the owner of the Latin Cafe 2000, the event began as a staff joke after they saw a news article about the presidential pardon for Thanksgiving, “because we really don’t eat turkey here in Miami.” We consume pork.

After exchanging glances, Castellanos remarked, “We decided that someone ought to take care of this.” “The rest is history.”

Rico and Alessandra, Castellanos’ two children, were responsible for choosing the names for the piglets.

A few dozen people stopped to see Glinda and Elphaba and observe the ceremony, including Abbi Erkes, who relocated to Miami four months ago.

Since I’m from the Midwest, I’ve visited a lot of farms and seen a wide range of pigs, but these are particularly adorable ones, Erkes said. “I’ve been learning about Latin and Cuban culture, as well as the things I need to be a true Miamian, from one of my best friends who has lived here her entire life.”

In order to receive pardons over the years, Glinda and Elphaba were driven to their new residence on the 12th and 13th after the ceremony. The artificial grass did not move.