Las Mañanitas is a traditional Mexican folk song performed as a serenata, traditionally sung at dawn to wake and honour someone on their birthday or saint's day. Its lyrics describe the morning the King David sang, giving the tune a long cultural life across Mexico and the wider Spanish-speaking world. Families, friends and mariachi groups still perform it before cake is cut. Short capo-style clips now circulate online as instant birthday greetings, shared in chats and edits where the familiar opening notes alone say happy birthday.