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Veronica Barrios
English 102
Culture
9 May 2015
One of Many but One of a Kind
If everyone was the same this world would be boring and it would never evolve. Yes, we
are all humans but we are all different and that is what helps our world evolve and adapt to new
times. These differences all come from our different cultures. Culture is what defines a group of
individuals with similar religious beliefs, similar language, customs, traditions, similar form of
government, and similar form of economy. In this world there are many different types of
cultures that relate to each other but are still completely different. These cultures are what define
us as a society and as the human raise. Each of these different cultures impact our way of living
and our understanding of the world in which we live in. The number of cultures in the world is
infinite because many have not been discovered yet. The worlds massive population (6.3 billion)
is what contributes to the undetermined number of different cultures that may exist (Most). But
one culture that we are certain is about the culture in Mexico; a culture that is defined as one but
is made up of three other. To get to where Mexico is today it had to go through many changes
these changes all contributed to the culture that Mexico now has. The Mexican culture is made
up of the Aztec rituals, Mayan civilization, and the European conquest (Religion). These three
different periods on Mexicos history are what have influenced Mexicos present day religion,
language, traditions, customs, art, government, and social organization.

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The most commonly practiced religion in Mexico is Catholicism, about 83.9 percent of
Mexicos population is catholic (Mexico remains). Catholicism set foot in the Mexican culture
when the Spanish set foot on Mexicos shores in 1519 with Herman Cortes tribulation (Penny).
Before the Spanish arrival the religious practices consisted of worshipping of multiple nature
deities such practices came from the Mayan civilizations (Religion in). When the Spanish
conquered Mexico it was easy to set Catholicism as the main religion because both the Mayans
and Aztecs already had similar believes. The Mayans believed in a higher ultimate power, but
they thought that the God the Spanish believed in was one of their kings. The Mayan people
believed that when the sun and moon set they were helped by the gods; these gods were kings
that had passed away and had come back to life in one of the four layers of heaven (The maya).
The Aztecs on the other hand believed in worshipping a mother figure that to them was
Tonantzin which was similar to the Spanish Virgin Marry. They also recognized that it was
important to have fasting periods, and in embracing pilgrimage, just like the Spanish (The maya).
Since the both the Mayans and the Aztecs did not fight against the new religion that was brought
upon them, the religion became popular and the national choice of religion which is present
today.
Mexicos national language is Spanish which is spoken by 92.7 percent of the population
(Mexico-language). Spanish is one of the most romantic languages in the world with 43 percent
(Most). It is also one of the most spoken languages with about 414 million speakers around the
world (Lomnitz-Adler). Spanish was brought to Mexico by the Spanish in 1519 (Penny).
Because the Spanish conquered and ruled over the Mayans the Aztecs they taught them
castellano (Spain Spanish) missionary school that were lead by the priest, whom also taught the
religion and Spanish culture (Mexico remains). The Spanish established their kingdom in Mexico

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and ruled 300 years until the people revolted and gained their independence in 1821 (Mexico). It
took those 300 years set Spanish as the official national language, even though some of the
ingenious languages are still spoken. These ingenious languages were so powerful that even if
they were not considered the main language they are still spoken to this day. They were so
important that some words were brought into English, an example is the word chocolate
(Mexico-language). The Spanish now spoken is mostly slang and has a different form and
pronunciation differing from region to region but is still considered Spanish just with a Mexican
touch.
No culture would be complete without its traditions. Some of Mexico's traditions date
back to the 1800s. Because the main religion in Mexico is Catholicism, Christmas is celebrated
but it is not the Christmas we know. In the Mexican Christmas celebration gifts are not to be
provided (10 interesting). Such gifts instead come during "El dia de los reyes" which translates to
the day of the kings. Their Christmas consists of social and religious interactions. These
celebration starts the night of December 16 and continues the 9 nights that follow until
December 25th, the actual day of Christmas. Each night the families visit nine homes, they for a
procession that is led by two children who are supposed to represent Mary and Joseph. Once,
they have arrived at the appropriate home they pray and party while the children break the
traditional piata. Some other Mexican traditions include independence day celebrated
September 16, Benito Juarez's birthday March 21, El dia de la raza October 12, Day of the dead
November 2 which commemorates those who have passed,Mexican revolution November 20,
and mother's and teacher's day on May 10 and 15 (Zimmerman). Such traditions are still
practiced in Mexico they have changed and have been moderated to fit the life style of people in
today's word but they still carry the same idea and respect.

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Each society has expectations when it comes to behavior on public and at home. In
Mexico respect is important to such point that one may not enter the home or call the person by
their first name unless granted permission. During greetings women pat each other on their right
forearm or shoulder. While men shake hands until a more comfortable relationship is build then
they could hug and pat each other's backs. When invited to a home make sure to arrive 30
minutes late and bring a gift because it is waited upon, either sweets or flowers. But no
marigolds because they symbolize death and no red flowers because they provide a negative
vibe, white flowers are always the best option. When eating always make hands visible, when
done wrists should be placed at the edge of the table, and the used utensils should rest on top of
the plate facing right. It is also important to know that only men make toasts, one should not start
eating until the hostess does, and it is considered polite to leave food on the plate. All this
customs in Mexican culture are what define the social classes and respect toward those present at
the time (Lomnitz-Adler).
Art is a way of expression that allows people to inform the world about their opinions or
feelings. That is why in Mexican culture graphic art is the most important and most commonly
done. Such art can date back to pre-columbian days in which the indigenous people drew gods to
create awe and fear within their people. And after Columbus days graphic art was what helped
express the way the world around them was changing. After the revolution a new form of art
started one that was widely know, the mural. The themes of such important pieces of art were the
people and their struggle. Some of the best artists of such remarkable piece of art were Diego
Rivera (1886-1957) and Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) (every culture). In present day murals are still
important and they are still used as a form of expression that allows the community to place the
word out there without having to say it outloud.

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To run and succeed each country needs a form of government that can handle the
countries problems and change. Mexico has a government that consists of three branches. The
executive branch is ran by the president who must rule according to the law. A presidential term
lasts 6 years and their is no re-elections. The president is the supreme commander of the Navy,
Army, and Air Force. He is allowed to declare war on other countries but only with the consent
of congress, but congress is passive and believes in fixing problem with peace treaties instead of
wars. And the president chooses the Secretary of state who takes care of healthcare, education,
commerce, and social development (Farsad). This form of government has been present post the
revolution and it is what drives the country.
Culture can be affected by the social organization because the lower classes cannot
provide to the elements for a certain celebration. In Mexico the social organization is ironically
not that organized. There is an unequal distribution of wealth, with the introduction of neoliberal
economic policies such inequality has sharpened. In 1998, the top twenty percent of income
earners accounted for 55% of Mexico's income. While am 27% of the population was living
below poverty lines (Penny)... It is the way the culture handles such problem, each man is on
their own. If one wants to stand up and get something done he will have to be willing to step
over others to make it to the top. But because envy is common in this culture those who make it
are those who were determined to accomplish their goals no matter the obstacles and opinions.
Culture defines a certain group of people by giving it its religion, language, traditions,
customs, art, government, and social organization. Each culture is different they may have
similar components but the differences are greater then the similarities. Each culture combines to
create a beautiful mosaic pot that make this world work, adapt, and change for the better of
human kind.

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Works cited
"10 interesting facts about Mexico." Just landed tourist help. Web. 05 May 2015.
"About Mexico: Mexican traditions and culture." The handbook for children. Web. 04 May
2015.
Farsad, Karsa. "Mexico's government." Government database. Web. 03 May 2015.
Lomnitz-Adler, Claudio. Exits from the Labyrinth: Culture and Ideology in the Mexican
National Space, 1992.
"Mexico." Fact Monster. Web. 03 May 2015.
"Mexico-language, culture, customs, etiquette." Kwintessential. Web. 02 May 2015.
"Mexico remains predominantly Catholic country." EWTN News. Web. 03 May 2015.
"Most widely spoken languages in the world." Ethnologue. Web. 02 May 2015.
Penny, Ralph (2002). A History of the Spanish Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
"Religion in Mexico and Mexican customs." Don Quijote. Web. 06 May 2015.
"The Maya culture." The big myth. Web. 04 May 2015.
Zimmerman, Kim Ann. "Mexican Culture: Customs and Traditions." Life science contributor, 10
February 2015. Web. 06 May 2015.

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