3. Agriculture is still one of the most important activities for world economy; the primary
nutrition of millions of persons depends on it.
4. Since Mexico’s Independence, the government began a Hispanicization process
pretending the complete adoption of the Spanish language and the elimination of ethnic
differences in order to integrate Indians into the nation under “conditions of equality”,
with an utmost lack of respect for their ancient cultures. In Mexico, there are 62 Indian
languages in use..
Pozole is a delicious dish prepared with corn, meat, pepper and vegetables in a
hearty broth. It has been a very popular dish in Mexico ever since Pre-Hispanic
times. Pozole, word of Nahuatl origin meaning froth.
5.
6. Mexico is an officially secular country where the Church and the State conduct
themselves independently. This separation was decreed in the 1917 Constitution but the
Catholics attempted to fight this law by encouraging farmers to go up in arms against the
government, which caused the Cristero War during the 1920’s. The conflict concluded by
mutual consent and a new legislation granted the Church a legal presence. However,
Mexican law forbids ministers of cult from holding public office. In 1992, Mexico
abolished many of the restrictions imposed on the Catholic clergy and other religions.
Religious groups have been granted legal status and limited property rights.
Mexico’s main religions is constituted as follows:
Catholic 74,612,373
Protestant and Evangelist 4,408,159
Jehovah Witnesses 1,057,736
Adventist 488,945
Mormon 205,229
Judaism 45,260
Islamic 1,780
This makes Mexico the second country with the most Catholics in the world, after Brazil
The word tamal has Nahuatl roots and means “wrapped”. Mexico’s great cultural variety
has created an immense diversity of tamales, of forms and ingredients characteristic of
each region. It is estimated that there are more than 500 types of tamales throughout the
country.
Politics
the present political environment would have been considered as utopian only a few years
ago, as the country was plunged into what great Latin American writer Mario Vargas
Llosa described as the "perfect dictatorship", for the PRI party ruled the destinies of the
nation for 76 consecutive years. This party was formed in the year 1910, claiming to be
the one which had taken up the standards and ideals of the Mexican Revolution, and
which from 1929 brought social peace and political stability to the nation through the
leadership of different politicians who were not
allowed to run for re-election. Nevertheless, as time went by, and under the guidance of
President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, the party turned towards the neo-liberal approach
that brings about open and free trade to Mexican economy and the signing of several
7. international treaties, the larger of which is the NAFTA with its northern neighbors, the
United States and Canada.
ixtapa
17. Quinceanera
The most important component of the celebration is invariably a Misa de acción de
gracias (thanksgiving Mass). The birthday girl arrives decked out in a fancy full-length
dress - frills, pastel tones and matching hats or headdresses prevail. Flanked by her
parents and padrinos (godparents), she is specially seated at the foot of the altar
throughout the service. She may be accompanied by up to seven damas (maids of honor)
and as many chambelanes (chamberlains), selected from among close family and friends.
At the end of the mass younger sisters, cousins and friends pass out bolos
(commemorative favors) to those in attendance, while the quinceañera deposits her
bouquet on the altar or in a niche honoring the Virgin Mary, most often that of the
ubiquitous Virgen de Guadalupe. The quinceañera traditionally has the option of further
celebrating the occasion with either a viaje (journey) or a fiesta (birthday bash). While a
trip to Paris and other European destinations was once the rage among the well-heeled,
nowadays young women of all social strata generally opt for the party, complete with live
band music. The degree of opulence of the event is directly related to the economic
means of the girl's parents and godparents.
*She steps to a podium and reads a speech in Spanish expressing gratitude for her friends
and family and vowing to live as a role model in the example of the Virgin Mary. Five
hours and a limousine ride later, the young girl is waltzing with seven young men in
quick succession as a sort of Latino-infused classical music is played over the
loudspeakers. The last dance of the first song is saved for the young lady and her father.
