Mexico Atlas

Adopt-A-Country 2021

Nowadays, 83% of Mexicans are Roman Catholic. However, most do not attend church regularly, especially younger generations. Still, the Catholic Church has influenced the culture greatly, and Catholic holidays are respected. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico and a national symbol. This aspect of Mexican culture has changed over time. The Mexican constitution, drafted during the revolution, attempted to transfer power from the catholic church to the people. “It guaranteed freedom of worship but banned public displays of worship and forbade churches to own property or exist as legal entities. In 1992, this law was again changed, “endowing churches with more legal rights.” While many officials ignored the previous restrictions, the law “relieves tension between the state and various religions—without forcing the government to endorse a specific church.” Text cited: CultureGrams Article (see Works Cited, page 14 )

Mexico is located in North America below the USA. It is known for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and of course, food like tacos, tamales, enchiladas, and more.

‌https://www.facebook.com/HungryHappenings. “Sugar Skull Video Tutorial and Recipe - Hungry Happenings.” Hungry Happenings, 10 Oct. 2020, hungryhappenings.com/sugar-skull-recipe/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2021. ‌ http://www.facebook.com/tryanythingonce. “How to Make Sugar Skulls for Dia de Los Muertos - Try Anything Once.” Try Anything Once, 14 Oct. 2015, www.tryanythingonceculinary.com/how-to-make-sugar-skulls-for-dia-de-los-muertos/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2021. https://www.facebook.com/thespruceeats. “All about Sugar Skulls: A Dia de Los Muertos Tradition.”&nbsp;The Spruce Eats, 2020, www.thespruceeats.com/sugar-skull-history-2342805. Accessed 14 Dec. 2021. ‌

Deep culture, as you may have assumed, means aspects of culture you need to really get to know someone and immerse yourself in a culture to understand. This could be a religion, or the origins of a holiday. Here's a deeper aspect of Mexican Culture: People in Mexico come from many different backgrounds. While some are indigenous Americans or Spanish, there are also traces of African, German, and others. One Mexican person may have roots in many different cultures. The same can be true in the States and other countries, but it is still something you have to go deeper to understand. The origins of Dia de Los Muertos are also more than meets the eye. Sure, you know that this holiday revolves around celebrating the lives of deceased loved ones, but did you know that Mexicans believe that on this day, the spirits of the dead actually come back from the land of the dead? This is the reason they cover paths with marigolds; they believe these make it possible for the spirits to pass through. The holiday also combines Catholic traditions with traditional Mexican beliefs.

Souroujon, Stephanie. "Things You May Not Know About Chichen Itza." Culture Trip. Sep. 2021, https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-chichen-itza/

“CultureGrams Online Database | World Edition: Religion for Mexico.” Culturegrams.com, 2021, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=102&amp;cn=Mexico&amp;sname=Religion&amp;snid=5. Accessed 6 Dec. 2021.

“CultureGrams Online Database | World Edition: Holidays for Mexico.” Culturegrams.com, 2021, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=102&amp;cn=Mexico&amp;sname=Holidays&amp;snid=16. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Music of Mexico.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Mexico. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021.

S, Jackson. “El Dia de Los Muertos.” The Talon, 2017, thetalononline.org/3134/showcase/el-dia-de-los-muertos/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2021.

Fun Fact: On the equinoxes in May and September, the light forms a serpent shape on the steps of the Temple of Kukulcan.

Chichen Itza is an ancient site located in Yucatan, Mexico, which is home to several Maya Temples. 1.2 million people visit each year to see the large pyramid, the Temple of Kukulcan, pictured above.

Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skulls (Calaveras)

Sugar Skulls are a dessert made for Day of the Dead. They are usually made with granulated sugar, meringue powder and water. They are hardened in skull molds, and then decorated with icing.

Part 1: Country Overview (Page: 3) -Political Map (4) -Physical Map (5) -Place of Interest (6) Part 2: Culture (Page: 7) -Cultural Change (8) -Surface Culture (9) -Deep Culture (10) 3: My Choice (Page:11) -Music in Mexico (12) -Sugar Skulls (13) 4: Works Cited (Page:14) -Text Sources (14) -Image Sources (15)

Traditional Folk Music Instruments from Mexico

"The music of Mexico is very diverse and features a wide range of musical genres and performance styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, most notably the culture of the Europeans and Natives. Music was an expression of Mexican nationalism, beginning in the nineteenth century." During the 1960s and 1970s, much of Mexico's pop music consisted of Spanish-language versions of English-language rock and roll hits. Singers and musical groups in Mexico often performed covers of English songs by the likes of Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, Nancy Sinatra, and more. Also, sometimes non-Mexican artists would head to Mexico to broaden the reach of their music. In 2000, we saw a crossover of some Mexican artists like Paulina Rubio and Thalia into the English music industry, with them creating bilingual albums.

Sources of Political and Physical Map images unknown

Clker-Free-Vector-Images. “Mexico Flag Mexican - Free Vector Graphic on Pixabay.” Pixabay.com, 10 Apr. 2012, pixabay.com/vectors/mexico-flag-mexican-national-26989/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. ‌ GDJ. “Sugar Skull Mexico Day of the Dead - Free Vector Graphic on Pixabay.” Pixabay.com, 5 Sept. 2019, pixabay.com/vectors/sugar-skull-mexico-day-of-the-dead-4452682/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. 7089643. “Day of the Dead Skeleton Guitar - Free Vector Graphic on Pixabay.” Pixabay.com, 9 Aug. 2019, pixabay.com/vectors/day-of-the-dead-skeleton-guitar-4393910/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. ‌ “File:Mexico Location Map (1824).Svg - Wikimedia Commons.” Wikimedia.org, 2016, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mexico_location_map_(1824).svg. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. ‌

Sources of Chichen Itza and Chichen Itza map images unknown

Shallow culture means aspects of someone's culture that you can observe just by talking to them for a few minutes. These are more obvious parts of culture. This could mean widely celebrated holidays, fashion, or daily practices like going to school. Here are some aspects of shallow culture in Mexico: One widely respected holiday is Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of The Dead. This is a holiday where Mexicans honor family members who have passed on. They decorate altars with photos of deceased loved ones, their favorite things and Dia de Los Muertos symbols like sugar skulls and marigolds. Also, food is a very obvious part of Mexican culture, like I mentioned in the country overview. You have probably been to a Mexican style restaurant at least once, and enjoyed some of the classic Mexican foods like tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. Or maybe something else!

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