Mexican+Culture

= The Culture of Mexic o = Elizabeth Aman

Mexico is located in North America, and is bordered by Guatemala and Belize in the South and Southeast, and The United States in the North. The country is between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico in the East, and the Pacific Ocean    in the West. It is split into 31 states, which together cover almost 780,000 square feet, making it the eighth largest nation in the world. The country curves from northwest to southeast, narrowing to the [|Isthmus of Tehuantepec] in the south and then continuing northeast to the [|Yucatan Peninsula]. The country's official language is Spanish, but about seven to eight percent of the people also speak and Indian language as their native tongue. (Worldmark) == History      == The country was home to three Native American civilizations, the [|maya], the [|olmecs], and the[|toltecs], before the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. The region is known historically as  Mesoamerica. Between AD 250 and 900, the Maya civilization flourished in Central America and Southern Mexico  <span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Religious centers, homes, and temples were built by the Maya’s. They also established the first highly complex calendar system, which was the most accurate known to humans until the development of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. When the Spanish came to rule, these peoples were converted to Chrisianity, and Europe<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">   an customs made their way into Indigenous life. Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, but lost the Northern part of its territory to the United States in 1818. In 1917, Mexico's dictatorship was overthrown and a new constitution was adopted. The political party known as the Institutional Rvolutionary Party was founded in 1929 and has remained in power since then. (Worldmark)

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Culture
The culture of Mexico is a composite of influences handed down by many civilizations. Mexican citizens remain proud of their heritage and country.

**Religion**
Roman catholicism is the largest religious practice in Mexico. Eighty-five percent of the population is Roman Catholic, making Mexico the second largest Catholic population behind Brazil. One of the most well known churches in Mexico is called the Basilica of Guadalupe. It is the central place for worship, and it holds a special importance to all Catholic Mexicans.

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffb900; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ====<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1916bb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">** Holidays and Festivals **   <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1916bb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1916bb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">        ====

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000501; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Holy Week- ** This week is spent commemorating the events that lead up to the crucification and ressurection of Christ. ** It is part of the celebration of Easter which includes Semana Santa and Pascua, and takes place the entire week before Easter Sunday. Semana Santa celebrates the last days of Christ's life and Pascua is the celebration of Christ's ressurection. (Easter) Most schools get a two week vacation to celebrate these holiday which constitutes as their spring break. This also happens to be the hottest and driest time of the year. (Holy Week) ====<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1916bb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">   ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1916bb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Other important holidays in Mexican culture include El dia de los Muertos and a celebration called [|Quinceanera]. El dia de los Muertos takes place on November 2nd, and often people visit the graves of their loved ones, leaving flowers and gifts. Quinceanera is a celebration to recognize a girl's fifteenth birthday and her transfer into womanhood. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1916bb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">    ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black', Gadget, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1916bb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> **Music**    ==== Pre-Columbian roots along with Spanish and African influences have shaped Mexico's musical history. There are three main types of music in Mexican culture, Mexican Son, Ranchera, and Mariachi.

-Mexican Son- This style of music first appeared in the 17th century. It is a combination of indigenous and Spanish and African traditions and is much like [|Cuban Son.] The music shows variation throughout the different regions of Mexico, especially in rhythm and instrument type. Some of the regional sons include son jarocho from Vera Cruz, and son jaliscenses from Jalisco**.**

-Ranchera- Ranchera originated in the mid 19th century and got it's name because it was literally sung on a Mexican ranch. The music includes traditional themes about love, partriotism and nature. The ryhthm reflect the tempo of the waltz, polka, and the bolero. Instruments used include guitars, strings, trumpets, and accordions. Many of the best known Raccheras were composed by [|José Alfredo Jiménez]. Jiménez composed over 1,000 songs, making him one of the most prolific song writers in the history of western music.

-Mariachi- Contrary to popular belief, Mariachi is not a style of music, but actually a group of musicians. A mariachi orchestra is composed of two violins, two trumpets, a Spanish guitar, and two other types of guitars. The suits worn by the musicians are called 'charro' suits. They are attributed to General Portofino Diaz who ordered the poor peasant musicians to wear the outfits in order to look good for visits from the U.S. secretary of State. Mariachis do not play one specific type of music, but they are closely tied to ranchera music. Originally the music reflected romantic themes, but as the Mexican economy worsened, the music began to reflect revolutionary heroes and current events. Since the early 20th century, the music has been written down and standarized. Trumpets and a harp were introduced to the orchestra, and are currently found in mariachi bands. These bands are very popular at social gatherings, especially weddings. (Music of Mexico)

**Language**
Spanish is the predominate and official language of Mexico. Aside from Spanish, the government recognizes some 60 indigenous Amerindian languages. There are around six million speakers of indigenous languages, causing Mexico to have the second largest portion of Native American language speakers in the Americas, after Peru. The only indigenous language with more than one million speakers is [|Nahuatl]. Other Native American languages with large populations include [|Quechua], [|Aymara], and [|Guarani]. The spanish of Mexico represents classic highland Spanish. Other Spanish speaking countries that represent highland Spanish include Columbia, highland Venezuela, the Sierra in Ecuador and Peru, and the altiplano in Peru and Bolivia. (Languages)

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====This is an interview with Isauro Saldana. Isauro was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and lived there until he was two years old. He went back when he was ten tolive for a year, but now goes to school in Eugene. He has family that still lives in Mexico and goes back to visit often. We talked about the culture of Mexico and what important cultural festivities that most Hispanics take part in.We also talked about the difference between the poeple in Mexico and people in the United states, as well as the importance of knowing English while living in Mexico.====


 * Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life Vol. 2 Pgs. 300-304 Copyright 1998 by Gale Research

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/feature/easterindex.html http://gomexico.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/p/holy_week.htm <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> =<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">http://latinmusic.about.com/od/countrie1/p/PROBASICS17.htm =
 * Easter in Mexico Semana Santa and Pascua
 * Holy Week and Easter in Mexico
 * <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Music of <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mexico <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> - Son, Ranchera, Mariachi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Mexico
 * Languages of Mexico