Mexican Culture

Matching People and Place Names in Mexico

Each state in Mexico has its corresponding gentilic —adjectives that describe people's place of origin— and some also have nicknames. Here's a guide through the nomenclature

Smoke-Free Mexico Offers No Substitutes for Quitters

Ex-smokers and those trying to quit smoking can't find tobacco substitutes for sale in Mexico, and commercial import of 'vaping' products is banned

A Saying For Every Occasion

Mexico has a wide variety of sayings, maxims, or phrases —some of Mexican origin, and others evidently not— and all are supposed to convey truths that admit no argument

Woe is the Malinchista

The expression 'malinchista' harks back five centuries to the native woman Malinche, who served as interpreter for Hernán Cortés

Lazarillo de Tormes

A practical suggestion for readers wishing to avoid having their literary choices blindsided by a disparaging comment

A Politically Incorrect Christmas To You Too

Mexico has always been a country to assimilate foreign things without giving up its own identity

The Virgin Guadalupe and Juan Diego

December 12, Dia de Guadalupe, is one of Mexico’s most important religious holidays

There’s More to Piñatas than Meets the Eye

The colorful piñata is a hallmark of Mexican festive traditions, and more thought and decision-making goes into a simple piñata ritual than you might expect