Mexican culture and customs

Culture in Mexico is a synthesis of European practices and old Central American traditions.

 

A great deal of change has occurred in recent Mexican history, and this change has had diverse effects in various parts of the country. Although most Mexicans now call the city home, the country's rich culture is deeply rooted in the country's smaller rural areas.

 

While the Aztecs and Mayas, who formerly ruled much of Central America, contributed to Mexico's cultural past, the country also owes a great deal to the colonial heritage of Spain. Many Mexican traditions can be traced back to one of these eras.

 

"Mexico is distinct from other Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas because of its unique culture and history. According to Peter Standish and Steven M. Bell's "Culture and Customs of Mexico," no other country has so aggressively traced its cultural origins [through] such a dramatic past to such deep foundations; none has so thoroughly combined European and non-European cultural elements (Greenwood, 2004).

 

Mexico's populace

 

According to a July 1, 2021 projection from the United States Census Bureau (opens in a new tab), Mexico has a population of about 128 million people, making it the 10th most populous country in the world. Index Mundi has identified at least ten distinct people groups in Mexico. Nearly two-thirds of the population is mestizo, or of mixed indigenous Central American and European ancestry. Only 10% of the population can trace their ancestry back to Europe, whereas 21% identify as indigenous or primarily indigenous Central Americans. These subcultures combine to form a style that is distinctively Mexican. On the other hand, Index Mundi points out that census data on ethnicity is not collected in Mexico.

 

A report from Mexico's National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Informatics (INEGI) indicates that the country's median age has increased to 29 years old, from 27 in 2015. According to Index Mundi, 26% of the population is younger than 14 years old, 17% is 15–24 years old, 41% is 25–54 years old, 8% is 55–64 years old, and approximately 8% is 65 and older.

 

Index Mundi says that about 81 percent of the country's population lives in urban areas. Mexico City is the fifth most populated city in the world, with about 22 million people.

 

Mexican languages

 

Nowadays, Spanish is the language of choice for the vast majority of Mexicans. The CIA estimates that 93.8% of the Mexican population is bilingual in Spanish. Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional languages are spoken by about 5.4% of the people, in addition to Spanish. Native Mexican words have entered the lexicons of other languages, including English. Examples of Nahuatl-derived words include chocolate, coyote, tomato, and avocado.

 

Mexico's various faiths

 

According to Talia Wagner, a marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles, "much of Mexican culture revolves around religious values and the church, as well as a sense of family and inclusiveness." According to the CIA, over 78% of Mexicans consider themselves Catholic, but many also practice aspects of the pre-Hispanic Mayan religion. This goes back to the first colonists, who tried to bring Christianity to the area by combining European and Central American ideas.

 

Pre-Columbian religion and Spanish Catholicism regarded public rituals as crucial to their respective practices. According to historian and University of Nevada professor Linda A Curcio-Nagy, "The Oxford History of Mexico," "priests swiftly introduced their aboriginal parishioners to religious plays, music, and festivals, particularly at Easter and Corpus Christi, both of which celebrated the Holy Eucharist." by Michael C. Meyer and William H. Beezley (Oxford University Press, 2010).

 

Presbyterians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Mormons, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, and Anglicans. Minorities of Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist origin exist as well.

 

Mexican cultural norms

 

Families in Mexico, especially outside of major cities, tend to be large, and individuals are keenly aware of their obligations to their immediate relatives and those to their cousins and other close acquaintances. Mexicans place high importance on hospitality, and many cultural norms revolve around hosting parties in their homes and making guests feel at ease.

 

Wagner told Live Science that "family units are frequently huge, with traditional gender roles and considerable family involvement from the outside members who help one another daily." Members of the same family share a deep bond. Wagner elaborated, saying, "Parents are treated with a high degree of respect, as does the family in general, and there may be a constant battle, especially for the growing child, between individual demands and requirements and those of the family."

 

The quinceaera is a major celebration in Mexican culture. It's a party in honor of a girl turning 15 today. It represents the passage of time from girlhood to womanhood for the girl in question. The guest of honor wears a formal gown to the party, which also features dinner, dancing, and the company of friends and family. Typically, a mass is held at the girl's church before the shindig. During the party, the girl's damas (maids of honor) and chambelánes (chambermaids) take care of her.

 

Meals of Mexican origin

 

According to "Mexico For You," a book published by the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., Mexican food differs greatly from region to region because each town has unique culinary traditions. Corn-based foods such as tortillas and tamales, as well as other Latin American staples like peppers, tomatoes, and beans, can be found in almost any city or town. According to History.com, rice was also a common food source.

 

Mexican gastronomy is one of the country's most well-known cultural exports, with many international favorites having their gastronomic origins in Mexico. "Mexico: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History" by Robert Buffington, Suzanne B. Pasztor, and Don M. Coerver states, "Salsa now outsells catsup in the United States," and "$5 billion worth of tortillas are marketed abroad each year" (ABC-CLIO, 2004).

 

The agave cactus used to produce tequila thrives in the hot, humid conditions typical of the country's central region. Mexico has a thriving soda business, and soda is a popular drink there.

 

Mexico's Culture, Specifically the Arts

 

Some examples of traditional Mexican folk art include bright woven baskets and rugs; clay pottery; cotton clothing with intricate embroidery; wool shawls and outer garments with geometric patterns; and colorful woven textiles. According to "Mexico For You," silversmithing, mosaics, textiles, ceramics, and basketweaving are all still practiced after millennia.

 

Mariachi music is strongly identified with the country. They play violins, guitars, basses, vihuelas (a five-string guitar), and trumpets while dressed in elaborate charro costumes and caps; the tradition is thought to have begun in the nineteenth century in the southern part of the state of Jalisco. The song "La Cucaracha" is a mainstay of Mariachi music.

 

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are two of Mexico's most well-known artists. Their paintings are full of vivid colors and depictions of Mexican culture. Rivera pioneered Muralism, a movement that used large wall art to educate the people. Kahlo's work draws from personal pain and Mexico's vast history. "The work of Frida Kahlo (1907–54) is also steeped in Mexicanness, although it is primarily a record of her difficult life, marked by pain, disappointment, and loneliness," wrote Helen Delpar, a professor of history at the University of Alabama, in "The Oxford History of Mexico" (Oxford University Press, 2010). (Oxford University Press, 2010).

 

Mexican fashion

 

Despite widespread misconceptions, Mexico is home to several talented fashion designers, including Jorge Duque and Julia y Renata. It's also worth noting that Mexico hosts its own Fashion Week. Since international styles strongly influence urban fashion in Mexico, the typical urban Mexican wears clothes comparable to those worn in Europe and the United States.

 

According to the Don Quijote Spanish School, the huipil is a type of sleeveless tunic-like dress worn traditionally by Mexican women. Cotton dresses used to be relatively basic garments with colorful accents. However, nowadays, it is common for traditional Mexican women's attire to be heavily embroidered, and this needlework typically features figures and patterns with significant symbolic importance.

 

The sarape, a huge blanket cape, is a distinctive piece of traditional men's apparel. Like boots, shoes that can withstand the elements are a closet must-have. Most commonly linked with Mariachi bands, the charro suit has its roots in the clothing worn by Mexican cowboys. This suit can stand in for a tuxedo in Mexico. The sombrero, a wide-brimmed hat that protects well from the sun, is an important part of the charro's outfit.

 

Trading with Mexico

 

A peso is the unit of currency in Mexico. According to the CIA, the service sector accounts for over 65% of GDP. Other major contributors are industry (31%), agriculture (3.6%), and the government (1%). The country's principal agricultural exports are sugar cane, corn, milk, oranges, sorghum, tomatoes, chicken, wheat, green chilies, peppers, and eggs.

 

According to Santander, traditional Mexican corporate culture places a premium on close personal connections, rigid organizational structures, and an acute awareness of one's social standing. In "Culture and Customs of Mexico," Peter Standish and Steven M. Bell noted that "doing business of any sort is generally preceded by a period of socializing."

 

Occasions are commemorated in Mexico.

 

On December 12 each year, Mexicans around the country celebrate the Virgin Mary's apparition to a native Mexican during the early Spanish dominion with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Saint Mary of the Assumption is revered as the nation's patron saint. Following this is the nine-day festival known as Posadas, in which participants dress as Mary and Joseph and act out their hunt for a stable in Bethlehem. With candles in hand and songs in their hearts, families knock on neighbors' doors and beg for shelter. Once the door is opened, the festivities can begin.

 

The University of New Mexico states that November 2 is the Day of the Dead (Da de Los Muertos), a day to reflect on and respect ancestors who have passed away. To honor the time before Lent, many towns and cities in Mexico hold carnival celebrations.

 

September 16 is commemorated as Independence Day to celebrate the day the country gained its independence from Spain in 1810. Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday celebrating a military victory over the French in 1862. It is celebrated more in the U.S. (as a beer promotion) than in Mexico.

 

Referrals and further reading

Reading up on Hernán Cortés will give you a better general understanding of the colonial era in Mexico and Central America.

 

For those curious about Central American society before European colonization, a visit to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán is a must.

Reference : https://www.livescience.com/38647-mexican-culture.html

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# Mexican cultural traditions and customs

# Customs and customs in Mexican culture

# Culture of Mexico: Customs and Traditions