Mexican Culture, Holidays, and Food
Mexican culture is very interesting and combines features from the prehispanic past and the Spanish colonial period. Mexicans are justifiably proud of their culture, history, and ethnicity.
Mexican city life is not all that different from life in Europe or in the United States, although some Mexican villages still have more traditional ways. Most Mexicans live in large cities and there are more Spanish speaking people in Mexico than in any other country. The Mexican government recognizes over sixty other languages as indigenous Mexican languages.
Mexico is also the second largest Catholic nation in the world after Brazil, with ninety five percent of Mexicans being Catholic. The religion was introduced by the Spanish colonists.
Mexican Holidays and Celebrations
Every village, city, and town holds a party to honor their patron saint each year on different dates and Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on September 16. The people will pray and burn candles during the religious celebrations and they will also use colorful flowers and utensils to decorate their churches. Fireworks, parades, parties, and dance competitions are all common during fiesta time and football, bullfighting and cockfighting events are also held.
No Mexican party is complete without a hanging piata and these paper mache people, animals, or fictional characters contain candy and toys. The kids take it in turns to hit the piata, while wearing blindfolds, and when it breaks and the goodies fall out, the kids share them.
What Do Mexicans Eat and Drink?
Mexican food can be described as a perfectly balanced and flavorful blend of European and indigenous foods, including Mayan and Aztec influences. Popular Mexican foods are known all over the world and these include enchiladas, pozole, tamales, mole sauce, and tacos. Unfortunately, more people probably know about Mexican fast food joints rather than authentic Mexican restaurants but nothing beats using authentic Mexican recipes to make your own Mexican food if there is no traditional Mexican restaurant near you.
Beef, beans, chicken, maize, peanuts, tomatoes, avocados, potatoes, and guavas feature in many Mexican recipes. Fruit juice, Mexican beer, cinnamon flavored hot chocolate, and mescal are all favored by Mexicans too. There are also several Mexican wineries, which have won awards for their great quality wine, which is enjoyed in Mexico and exported as well.
Corn and chili both feature in Mexican recipes and you can get soups, stews, and salads in a Mexican style as well as the more well known dishes. Mexican desserts are excellent and they combine sweet and hot elements for maximum flavor sensation.
Chili is used to flavor candy sometimes and corn flavor candy is a favorite snack. The sugar skulls made for Da de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, are called Calaveras de Azcar.
Mexican food is one of the special things about Mexico, which stands out in many people’s minds. Far from being all tacos and burritos, Mexicans focus on using fresh produce and a clever combination of herbs and spices to make their dishes mouthwateringly good and wonderfully unique. By using authentic Mexican food recipes, you can find out why this tasty cuisine is loved the world over.
