Mexican culture is a unique combination of pre-Hispanic, colonial, and postcolonial Mexico. The Mexican people are rightly proud of their history, ethnicity, and culture.

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 the second largest catholic country in the world, after Brazil. Spanish colonists introduced Catholicism and ninety five percent of present day, Mexicans are catholic.

Mexican Holidays and Celebrations

Every town, village, and city in Mexico has its own patron saint and there is a party held once a year in each place to celebrate the saint days. Independence Day in Mexico is celebrated on September 16. Parties, fireworks, dance contests, and parades are popular during celebrations and you might see cockfighting, bullfighting, or football too. The people burn candles and decorate the churches with colorful utensils and flower arrangements.

Piatas are seen at Mexican fiestas and these are paper mache shapes made to resemble well-known people, animals or fictional characters. They are filled with candy and small toys and hung from the ceiling. The kids take it in turns to hit the piata until it breaks, then they gather up the candy and toys and share them.

Mexican Food 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 all about using clever combinations of herbs and spices as well as the best fresh produce. It is easy to make your own traditional Mexican recipes and find out why Mexican food is so popular all over the globe.

Tags: cooking, diet, eating, family, food, food and drink, gardening, health, home, home-and-garden, lifestyles, mexican food, mexican recipes, recipe, recipes

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