Mexican Culture: Customs & Traditions. The culture of Mexico has undergone a tremendous transformation over the past few decades and it varies widely throughout the country. Many Mexicans live in cities, but smaller rural communities still play a strong role in defining the country’s collective vibrant community. According to the CIA, Mexico consists of several ethnic groups. The mestizo (Amerindian- Spanish) group accounts for 6. ![]() Explore the history of Mexico, including its storied culture, statistics, pictures, videos and more. Get all the facts on History.com. Mexico Facts and Trivia. The country of Mexico. Mexico’s history begins before. Some Interesting Facts About Mexican Food. Mexican food is gaining popularity all over. You can learn a lot of history and facts about Mexican food by the. Amerindian people or predominantly Amerindian people account for 3. These groups create a culture that is unique to Mexico. Here is an overview of Mexican culture. Languages of Mexico. The overwhelming majority of Mexicans today speak Spanish. According to the CIA, Spanish is spoken by 9. Mexican population. About 6 percent of the population speaks Spanish and indigenous languages, such as Mayan, Nahuatl and other regional languages. Indigenous Mexican words have even become common in other languages, including English. ![]() Fun Facts About Mexican FoodFor example, chocolate, coyote, tomato and avocado all originated in Nahuatl. Religions of Mexico. Around 8. 2 percent of Mexicans identify themselves as Catholic, according to the CIA, although many have incorporated pre- Hispanic Mayan elements as part of their faith. Christian denominations represented include Presbyterians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh- Day Adventists, Mormons, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists and Anglicans. There are also small communities of Muslims, Jews and Buddhists. Values of the Mexican People. Mexicans put a high value on hierarchy and structure in business and family matters. Especially outside of cities, families are typically large and Mexicans are very conscious of their responsibilities to immediate family members and extended family such as cousins and even close friends. There is a strong connection between family members. The diet of working- class Mexicans includes staples such as corn or wheat tortillas, along with beans, rice, tomatoes, chili peppers and chorizo, a type of pork sausage. Here are some interesting Mexico Facts which were chosen and researched by kids. History: Mexico was conquered and colonised by the Spanish from. Mexican Food. Mexican History. Learn about the fascinating history of Mexico. An overview of past Mexican settlements, leading up to present day Mexico and Mexican traditions. ![]() Empanadas, which are handheld pasty pockets, can contain savory or sweet fillings. Soda is a very popular drink in Mexico, as the country has a well- developed beverage industry. A mariachi band plays music in Puebla. Marichi music is a tradition that goes back to the 1. Credit: Chameleons. Eye / Shutterstock. Mexican art and literature. Clay pottery, embroidered cotton garments, wool shawls and outer garments with angular designs, colorful baskets and rugs are some of the common items associated with Mexican folk art. Originated in the southern part of the state of Jalisco sometime in the 1. Their paintings include vibrant colors and depictions of life in Mexico. Mexican clothing. Many may not think of Mexico as a place that fosters high fashion, but many fashion designers hail from Mexico, such as Jorge Duque and Julia y Renata. There is also a Mexico Fashion Week. In the cities, fashion in Mexico is influenced by international trends, so the typical urban Mexican dresses similar to people in Europe and the United States. Boots are also a wardrobe staple. Mexican holiday celebrating the appearance of the Virgin Mary to an Indian man in the first years of Spanish rule. She is the patron saint of the country. University of New Mexico. Carnival is also celebrated in many communities throughout Mexico to mark the period before Lent. Independence Day, marking the country’s separation from Spain in 1. Sept. Cinco de Mayo, which marks a Mexican military victory over the French in 1. United States (as a beer promotion) than it is in Mexico. Additional reporting by Alina Bradford, Live Science Contributor. Additional resources. Ten Fascinating Facts About Mexico. Facts. Mike Devlin. June 2. 6, 2. 01. For many, Mexico has a bad reputation. Poverty, immigration, and the savage fallout of the drug trade lend the nation a certain air of hopelessness to outsiders. Since declaring independence from Spain in 1. Investment banking firm Goldman Sachs has asserted that it expects that due to strong trading relations, Mexico will constitute the world’s fifth largest economy by 2. Below are ten facts regarding crime, culture, and politics in the home of the world’s (sometime) richest man. The World’s Shortest Presidency. William Henry Harrison was the 9th President of the United States of America. He died of pneumonia on his 3. US history. But Harrison reigned for an eternity compared to Pedro Lascur. In 1. 91. 3, Lascur. During the early days of the Mexican Revolution, the government was overthrown by a military coup headed by General Victoriana Huerta, known as El Chacal “The Jackal”. President Madero resigned his position, which passed to Lascur. There is some very minor debate as to precisely how long Lascur. Madero was executed, and Huertas was soon ousted by forces led by Pancho Villa. He died in 1. 91. US. 9. Cinco de Mayo Is Not What You Think. Most Americans think of Cinco de Mayo as a celebration of Mexican independence, along the same lines as the 4th of July, with many participating in the festivities merely for an excuse to drink margaritas on a week night. However, Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates a victory in battle against French occupying forces. In the spring of 1. A powerful French battalion swept across the countryside until they were stopped in The Battle of Puebla at the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe by a much smaller Mexican group on May 5th. Unfortunately, the following year, the French returned with thirty thousand troops, took over Mexico, and installed Maximilian I as Emperor. While it is an important celebration in Puebla, in other areas of Mexico it is somewhat less popular. Mexican Independence Day, a completely separate holiday, is celebrated on September 1. Tequila: A Cultural Icon. Tequila is the national drink of Mexico, a potent spirit made from the blue agave. Like champagne, which can only legally be produced in the Champagne region of France, tequila must be derived from agave grown only in very specific parts of Mexico. As the drink’s popularity has continued to rise throughout the world, Mexico has tried to maintain its control, claiming tequila is a “geographically indicated product” under intellectual property rights law. However, it appears that other countries may soon be producing tequila, particularly China, which has areas that mimic Mexico’s very specific climate and soil. A common misconception about tequila is that the bottle should feature a worm. This actually holds true only for mezcal, a similar drink made from agave. The worm is actually the larva of a moth called the Hypopta agavis that routinely infests agave. While there are some who make the claim that the worm somehow improves the flavor, it is more than likely just a marketing ploy. The Cholombian Subculture. Centered in Monterrey, the “Cholombians” are best known for their bizarre hairstyles; shaved heads and long sideburns shellacked into place with gel. Their fashion style is equally odd: tiny, airbrushed ballcaps set gently atop their hair- dos, baggy clothes, religious necklaces called escapolarios. Some have been known to wear big cardboard signs around their necks. They share an obsession with all things Colombian, especially cumbia music. Cumbia is a style derived from traditional African slave music, mixed with local styles into a beat reminiscent of salsa. Although there has been some criticism of the group, they seem noticeably non- violent, generally coming together for dance parties to show off their moves. Carlos Slim: The World’s (Sometimes) Richest Man. Born in Mexico to Lebanese parents, 7. Carlos Slim Helu has spent most of the last five years as the world’s richest man, worth nearly $7. A genius broker, Slim was already a multimillionaire in his mid- twenties. The majority of his income is tied up in Am. In the United States it is unlikely Helu would be able to amass such an enormous fortune due to monopoly laws. Mexico’s telecom industry is largely deregulated, and in most places throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, Am. It even has a presence in the US through its subsidiary pre- paid phone service Tracfone. Slim also has a vast cross- section of other investments, including the Mexican arms of Sears Roebuck, Hershey, and General Tire. At the time of this writing, it would seem that Bill Gates has wrested back the number one spot due to a surge in the value of Microsoft stock, but it may be only a matter of time before Carlos reigns again. The Cartels Are Worse Than You Think. In decades past, Colombia was the main exporter of cocaine into the United States. But after the death of drug Kingpin Pablo Escobar, the trade shattered into dozens of smaller, and harder to track, organizations. In a few short years, a vast network of cartels sprung up across the country, a dozen or more ruthless groups fighting with each other and with police forces to gain control. The violence is very nearly unimaginable. Thousands are killed every year, often in increasingly baroque and horrifying ways. Decapitations are common, and bodies are often dumped en masse as a symbol of intimidation. Not only are rival gang members targeted, but journalists, police, and soldiers are also killed should they stand in the way. As tens of billions of dollars in drugs continue to flow over the borders, it seems unlikely that this savagery will stop any time soon. Huge Amount of Kidnapping. Mexican cartels derive the vast majority of their wealth from the drug trade, but these criminals have also been known to turn to kidnapping. The abductions can be incredibly brazen: on May 2. Mexico City. The majority of kidnappings tend to be tourists, or those with relatives in America, who could be tapped to make ransom payments. Over 2. 6,0. 00 people have gone missing in Mexico in the past six years alone. The Los Zetas cartel is known for kidnapping migrants and either forcing them into prostitution or turning them into drug mules. Providing security against such abductions is big business in Mexico, attracting all manner of mercenaries, professional soldiers, and even former Hollywood actors (Sam Jones, who played the sci- fi adventurer Flash Gordon, now runs a business protecting clients). For some years, anti- kidnapping expert Felix Batista was known for providing security consulting, running seminars, and serving to negotiate the release of hostages throughout Mexico. In 2. 00. 8, Batista himself was kidnapped, and has not been heard from since. Despite how bad it seems, there have been some victories: in the beginning of June 2. Tamaulipas. They were being held in a house while a gang sought to squeeze their families for ransoms. Tough Gun Laws. Given the violence to which Mexico has been subject, it would be natural to assume that there is a gun store on every street corner—In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Mexico has some of the strictest firearm regulations in the world. There is only one gun store in the entire country, located in Mexico City, and it is operated by the military. To purchase a weapon, citizens must submit references and subject themselves to background checks, fingerprinting, and being photographed, among other steps. Then, and only then, are they allowed to buy a single gun and a single box of bullets. It is illegal to have a pistol anywhere but inside the confines of one’s home. The black market in Mexico is largely fed by a thriving gun culture in the United States, which is home to over 6,0. Illegal Immigration is Declining. At the beginning of the century, over a half million illegal Mexican immigrants flooded across the borders of the United States each year. A decade later, and the flow has declined precipitously; down some 8. It is believed that only around 1. For one thing, it has grown ever more dangerous to cross. There is a heavy cartel presence at the border, and the prices charged by smugglers has more than doubled. Moreover, stiff immigration laws such as those employed by Alabama and Arizona makes life in the United States increasingly unpleasant. Jobs are harder to come by, and deportations are frequent. But perhaps the greatest difference stems from improvements in Mexico; living conditions have risen dramatically in recent years. Smaller families and access to education has done much to shrink income disparity, and services such as electricity, running water, and garbage collection have begun improving the quality of life in some of Mexico’s most remote areas. Expanding Obesity. It is tragically ironic that Mexico, once a country plagued by starvation, is now the second fattest country in the world behind the United States. In 1. 98. 9, fewer than 1. Mexico were overweight, but the rate has skyrocketed in the last 1. Since Coca Cola has become more available than water, Mexicans drink more soda per capita than any nation on earth, nearly twice as much as the United States. Today, over 7. 0% of all Mexicans are overweight, a number that continues to rise. Diabetes has recently become the leading cause of death, claiming 7. Mike Devlin is an aspiring novelist.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
November 2017
Categories |