Learning about and respecting local customs and social practices is an integral part of assimilating a new lifestyle in a country that is foreign to your home culture.

This guide helps you to navigate Mexico’s contemporary social etiquette and get acquainted with the social graces practiced here. It can also help to prevent you from making embarrassing or unnecessary faux pas.

Becoming familiar with Mexican social etiquette

This guide provides you with a detailed primer about Mexican social etiquette in everyday situations to help you learn about and adapt to local customs. This guide shares valuable insights if you plan to move to Mexico to live, work or retire.

If you plan to work in Mexico, whether you’re living here or visiting Mexico on a business trip, this guide in combination with our Guide to Business Etiquette in Mexico will help you to prepare for your meetings and negotiations.

Social graces and language

Mexico has very polite and courteous mannerisms built-in to its social norms and language. Politeness, patience, and tolerance in all situations —especially in difficult or frustrated ones— is always appreciated, and ultimately rewarded in Mexico.

Conversely, a display of impatience, anger, frustration, or lack of general respect in formal or informal situations can tend to fall on ‘deaf ears’ when dealing with most people in Mexico.

Although those around you may not outwardly react to your conflictive behavior, the ultimate outcome in a situation could be made worse for you through deliberate obstruction or total rejection of your wishes, not because it is impossible to fulfill them, but as a response to what is deemed to be your impoliteness.

Language formalities in Mexico

Politeness is built-in to social graces of Mexican culture, and this is most apparent in use of Spanish language.

• It’s common to use the Spanish language in its formal context —Usted— when dealing with people you do not know or who are senior to you.
• For friends, close associates, and informal situations, the informal —Tú— form of language is usually more appropriate.
• The use of formal language in informal situations in Mexico is often employed as a means to express irony, for example.

To better understand, and ultimately assimilate elements of Mexican social culture, you’ll need a good working knowledge of Spanish and spend time absorbing the nuances of how Mexican Spanish is employed everyday situations.

If your Spanish is rusty (or you’re monolingual), a language course can help.

When you have at least a basic working knowledge of Spanish, Mexperience’s PinPoint Spanish series helps you understand the nuances of how language is used in Mexico.

The etiquette of meeting & greeting people in Mexico

Meeting & greeting formalities are important in Mexico. Following social protocols will demonstrate your interest and sincerity, whereas ignoring them may be interpreted by others as coldness, or outright impoliteness.

Personal space

Mexicans tend to stand closer to each other than people do in the USA and Europe. This might feel a bit awkward to you at first if you are commonly used to having two feet or more of ‘air’ between you and other people (and especially those of the same gender as you), but in Mexico it’s quite common for people to stand and converse more closely than that with each other.  You don’t want to get too close, but stepping back too far may be taken as a sign of mistrust.

Men meeting & greeting other men

Men always shake hands when they meet and before they depart each other’s company.

Furthermore, an abrazo (hug) is shared between friends and may also be shared business associates with an established and productive working relationship. If you are unsure about whether to hug, allow the other person to lead: if, while shaking hands, he pulls you in toward him, follow through with your left arm on lightly his back—and give him 2 or 3 pats on the back.

Men meeting & greeting other women

It’s appropriate and courteous for a man to bow slightly when meeting a woman, regardless of familiarity, and whether the situation is a social or business occasion.

In business situations where familiarity is not yet established, men will politely shake women’s hands when they meet, and before they depart.  It is less usual for women to expect a kiss on the cheek, and most women will simply offer a handshake.

In social situations, and in business situations where a working relationship has been established, women might learn toward you to kiss when they are shaking your hand and if they do, you should follow through with a light kiss on the cheek—and only one kiss.

In regard to hugging, an abrazo (hug) is shared between friends and may also be shared between business associates with an established and productive relationship—hugs are light, and brief.  In business settings, men ought to allow the woman to lead in this matter.

Women meeting & greeting other women

In situations where women already know each other, women will always hug and kiss each other on the cheek.

When women are being introduced for the first time, whether socially or in a business context, a light handshake is a minimum gesture, and it’s also more common for women to share a light kiss and/or a light hug on a first meeting, but not always—wait for your host to lead if you’re unsure.

When departing, a handshake is a minimum gesture in a business context, and in social situations, and where business familiarity is well established, it is quite likely that women will kiss on the cheek and hug before they depart.

Before you part company

It’s important to say good-bye to people properly in Mexico. Leaving a meeting or situation without saying good-bye may be construed as poor form, impoliteness, or coldness on your part.

It’s not appropriate to simply say good-bye from a distance after you have been meeting somewhere together; there should be some physical contact, for example shaking of hands or hugs. See the section earlier in this guide for more insights about greeting protocols.

The use of professional titles in Mexico

Professional titles are an important part social and language etiquette in Mexico —they can be significant status symbol in some professional circles— and even in some informal situations.

Professionals with a degree are not referred to as Señor or Señora or Señorita in professional (and some social) situations, but instead by their professional title.

The most common professional titles in Mexico

When someone is using their professional title, they will be addressed as [Title] First name and Last Name, for example, La Licenciada Mariana Sanchez.

Here are the most common titles you will encounter in Mexico:

Licenciado/a — This is the most common and used to address anyone with a professional degree. Often used for addressing lawyers and Notary Publics, and any senior office worker, senior manager, or official.

Ingeniero/a — This refers to an engineer, and may be used when talking formally to anyone working in an engineering environment, and examples include: building and construction (but see Arquitecto, below), senior staff or managers working in manufacturing or design, and experts in information technology.

Doctor/a — Anyone who has earned a Doctorate in their discipline may refer to, or present, themselves as Doctor/a; it’s most commonly used to address professionals working in medical and pharmaceutical fields.

Arquitecto/a — This title is specifically reserved for those with a professional degree in architecture.

Maestro/a — This term is versatile, and can be used to describe a teacher, a master crafts person, someone who is adroit in the fine arts, and also an experienced or highly skilled builder or trades person, including a plumber, for example.  Read this article for further insights.

Professor/a — This term is used almost exclusively in academia, or to address an academic professor who happens to be working in an industrial or office environment.

When to use professional titles

Although professional titles remain an important and an integral part of social etiquette and language use in Mexico, it’s also reasonable to acknowledge that they are not as important as they have been in previous eras—especially among younger generations.

However, keep these points in mind:

• In the context of formal situations and/or situations of (legal) dispute or argument between parties, professional titles will often not only be employed, but emphasized, and this is part of the formality in those types of circumstances.
• When you are being introduced to someone by somebody else, the person making the introduction might refer to the third person by their professional title and in this case, follow the example and refer to the person by their title.
• If the person you are meeting immediately refers to themselves using their professional title, take that as a cue to know that the conversation will be formal, even if the situation may be a social or informal one.
• You might at some point during the course of a conversation be invited to use perhaps a first name—but the other party must lead this; never assume familiarity.

Dining etiquette in Mexico

Whether you’re dining our formally or informally with others in Mexico, there are certain rules of etiquette to consider as part of the gathering. Here are some local insights about the etiquette of eating out and dining socially here.

Invitations and bill settlement protocols

Regardless of whether the meal is informal, formal, or to discuss (potential) business matters, there are a few graces to consider about invitations and bill settlement.

• If you invite someone to eat out at a restaurant, it is presumed (and expected) that you will settle the bill, including the tip.
• If you are invited out to eat at a restaurant, it is also presumed that your host will settle, and polite to let them do so.
• It is customary for those who have been invited out to eat at a restaurant to offer to pay but this is a social grace, and one that should always be kindly and politely declined.
• If you are invited out to a restaurant for a meal you, too, should offer to pay, and then gracefully accept when your kind offer is politely declined.
• Splitting the bill is not typically practiced in Mexico, except in the case of close friends, or family. (Note: Restaurants will take split payment from patrons if asked to do so.)

Formats for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and supper

The format and length of meals out can vary and is most usually aligned with the time of day, type of meal, and the occasion.

Social breakfasts last for thirty minutes to an hour if the parties have a busy day ahead of them, or might go on for two or more hours depending on the situation.

Lunch or dinner is the main meal of the day in Mexico, and typically starts between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. You should always plan to spend at least two hours for this meal. It’s impolite to rush off immediately afterwards, unless there’s a prior understanding that you or the other party has other commitments to attend.

Dinners and suppers in Mexico tend to be ‘friends and family’ affairs; supper is taken from any time after 8 p.m. and can start as late as 10 p.m.  Business dinners and suppers are uncommon except between close business associates.

Being invited to dinner to a person’s own home is quite an honor, especially if the relationship is relatively new, or you have recently been cultivating a working or business relationship. You may take wine and/or flowers if you have been invited to dinner at someone’s home.  If you only take one item, we recommend you take flowers.  See gift-giving, later in this guide, for more insights.

Some observations on table etiquette

Here are some notes and tips in relation to table etiquette when you are dining in Mexico, whether at a restaurant or at someone’s home:

• If you are at a restaurant and dining formally, it’s customary to allow your host to order for you. If you are the host, it’s customary to ascertain your guest’s choices and order accordingly on their behalf.
• If you are dining informally, it’s more common for each person to order their own food directly with the waiter.
• If you don’t read/speak Spanish, some restaurants may offer a menu in English, or the menu might be bilingual.  If you’re the host, ensure that someone is at the table who can translate if your Spanish is not good; if you are the guest and there’s only a menu in Spanish, ask the host for guidance.
• Excess drinking is frowned upon in polite company Mexico; always regulate your alcohol intake when taking meals out on social or business occasions.
• It is local custom to offer toasts; the traditional toast in Mexico is “¡Salud!” (health).
• It is customary for the host to say “buen provecho,” or perhaps just “provecho” before commencing a meal; this also serves as a prompt to begin eating, and might be combined with a toast of ¡Salud!  The word provecho is the linguistic equivalent of the French, “bon apetit.“
• Some foods, like tacos, tortas, and tostadas are eaten using your fingers; using a knife and fork may be impractical and even look comical; if in doubt, follow the lead of your host(s).

Tipping etiquette at restaurants in Mexico

Mexico has a strong tipping culture and, if you are settling the bill, you must include a tip (unless the service was poor, that is unlikely).

• 10% to 15% of the total bill is customary, depending on the class of establishment and level of service you received.
• At Mexican diners and fondas and non-fancy restaurants 10% is sufficient; at higher-end restaurants and bistros, 15% is expected for good service.
• The 18%-25% rates now often expected at high-end restaurants in the United States are not practiced in Mexico; 15% is considered an acceptable ceiling for a meal tip.

Time and punctuality in Mexico

The English are so well known for their punctuality that, in Mexico, there’s a phrase people might use immediately after agreeing a time with you, “hora inglesa,” literally translated means “English time.”  The inference is that the time agreed should be strictly adhered to.

For social events, you could arrive 30 minutes later than the time on the formal invitation, or communicated by the host in some other way. In many countries, people rarely show up for informal parties at the exact time, preferring to arrive a little later on, and in Mexico this is quite common.

If you are sending out invitations to host a social gathering, whether its formal or informal, keep in mind that most guests are unlikely show up at the precise time you set on the invitation.

Importantly, it is not customary to define an ‘end time’ for social occasions in Mexico. Sometimes invitations to very formal events might specify a time at which the event will end, but in Mexico the end-time on your invitations ought be left open-ended (i.e., blank), with no end time specified on the invitation.

Dress code in Mexico

How people dress is another important aspect of Mexican social culture.  Here are some insights about attire depending on the climate and social or business situation.

Attire is influenced by local climate

The dress code in Mexico is in good part influenced by the local climate. Suits and heavy dresses in hot and sultry climates may not commonly be worn even for some formal situations (check locally) in which case smart-casual clothing that is light, comfortable, and elegant is often worn in more formal situations in hotter climate zones, whereas heavier formal attire (or heavier smart casual clothing) is often used in more temperate and cooler climates.

Formal meetings in temperate climate zones

For formal occasions in temperate climates —including business meetings, weddings and funerals, and other somber or serious occasions— men should always wear a suit and tie and women a formal dress.  During colder months, overcoats and scarves may be worn, and it’s also prudent to carry an umbrella during the rain season.

Formal meetings in hot climate zones

Except for very formal situations (and at venues where the building is air conditioned), attire for most formal meetings in hot climates is characterized by light and elegant clothing.  Heavy suits and dresses are simply impractical in hot, humid, environments.  Good quality cotton and linen garments can look elegant and provide a natural breathable fabric that will keep you cooler and more comfortable than synthetic fibers.  When dressing formally in a hot climate pay special attention to footwear; overall, “simple elegance” is what is called for.

Informal gatherings

For informal occasions, smart-casual or informal attire may be appropriate depending on the venue and situation.

For casual social gatherings, people’s attire tends to match the local climate: lighter for hotter climates, heavier smart-casual clothes for temperature and cool climates.  Beach shorts and T-shirts are commonly worn at informal gathering with friends coastal locations and in other hot climates; however, if you are meeting informally at a party where you don’t know that many people, something closer to smart-casual might be a better choice, absent a theme, e.g. pool or beach party.

During more formal or special occasions, for example birthdays and anniversaries, people will tend to dress-up. Older men might wear a coat or suit (with or without a necktie) whereas younger men and boys will tend to sport smart casual attire.  Older women will typically wear a formal dress (lighter natural fibers like cotton and linen are better in hot climates) and younger women and girls will wear smart-casual, often colorful, dresses.

Wedding attire in hot climates

Heavy suits are impractical in hot climates (e.g. Mérida in the summer or along the coasts) and so wedding attire might be less formal in hotter places, depending on the venue. Some weddings have “themes” in which case you ought to attend in attire to match. Check with the wedding hosts (or wedding planner if there is one).  Choose light cotton and linen attire that can look elegant and provide more comfort in hot weather than synthetic equivalents.

Meeting for the first time

If you are meeting people for the first time, it’s better to dress conservatively, especially if the meeting is for business or some other (potential) formal working association.

Attire ought to match the climate (see above), with an emphasis on simple elegance and attention to appropriate footwear.  Neutral colors including white and beige (ideal for hot climates), navy, black, or gray (better in temperature climates); or conservatively bright spring colors are ideal.

Dressing for the season

As we have mentioned in a related article, there are places in Mexico that can get cool or cold during the fall and winter months, so check the local climate where you are meeting.

Layers of clothing are often practical during the fall and winter, as mornings and evenings tends to be cool or cold at these times of year, especially in places situated at elevation, but daytime temperatures can get quire warm.  Cold fronts during the fall and winter months may require an overcoat as well.

Torrential afternoon rainstorms can be common during the rainy season, and it’s prudent to take an umbrella or a light raincoat if you might be outdoors or otherwise exposed to the elements.

The dry season, especially in the springtime between February and May, can get very hot and dusty in some places, so dress accordingly: light clothing (elegant for formal occasions), long sleeve shirts and a hat to protect from unbroken sunshine if you’re likely to be outside for extended period, e.g. a garden party.

You can learn more about Mexico’s Seasons here on Mexperience

Gift-giving etiquette in Mexico

Gift-giving is a significant aspect of Mexican social culture. Gifts are seen as symbols of affection and appreciation, and the absence of a gift on some occasions might be construed as impolite, or a form of “cold shoulder.”

Note that if you receive a gift, it is customary to open the gift immediately to show interest and appreciation for it.

Here are some tips about gift-giving practices in Mexico.

Lunch and dinner invitations

Although gifts are not required if you are invited to a lunch or dinner meal, they are appreciated.

A gift should always be offered if you are invited to someone’s home for lunch or dinner. Fresh flowers are always appreciated.  A bottle of wine (if your host drinks alcohol), or a small gift from your home country if you are visiting from abroad are also good gifts to take to a dinner party.

Gifts for personal assistants

Secretaries and executive assistants appreciate gifts in return for their assistance; for example, when a friend’s assistant helps you arrange some travel plans.  These gifts ought to be a token of appreciation (not a statement), and if you are male and the assistant is female, you ought to indicate that the gift is from you and your spouse/partner if you have one.

Gifts at birthdays

Birthday gift-giving is popular and frequently practiced in Mexico, especially among close friends and family members.  Sometimes the gift might be a meal out at a fashionable or fancy restaurant.

If you’re living in Mexico with a young family, you’re likely to be invited to your children’s friends’ birthday parties.  It’s appropriate to take a gift for the child being celebrated.

Gifts given at Christmastime

Christmas gift-giving is practiced in Mexico, usually on Christmas Eve, although children might also receive (additional) gifts on January 6th, Kings’ Day.

If you don’t know what to give

If you’re unsure about what to give, inquiring about what kind of gift the receiver would like to get may be considered discourteous, so avoid asking the person you intend to give something to what they would like.

If you know someone well who is close to the person you want to give to, you might ask them privately for guidance.

If you are visiting (or returning to) Mexico from abroad, you might bring something that is directly associated with your home country as a gift.

Mexico’s geography

Mexico is on the North American continent and ought not be referred to in conversations as being part of “South America” or “Central America.”  Mexico can correctly be referred to as being part of Latin America.

Learn the language and speak in Spanish

If you intend to live in Mexico, full-time or part-time, You ought make a genuine attempt to speak some Spanish.  Making an effort to speak Spanish, even at a basic conversational level, will be greeted with warmth and considered a gesture of respect and goodwill.

The Mexican flag

The Mexican flag is an important emotional and political national symbol and should never (under any circumstances) be exhibited, used, or referred to in mock, mimicry, or defamatory terms.

Walking past or between people, and leaving

When walking past someone who has yielded to you, or past people who are in conversation with each other (e.g., to excuse your passing between them); and when exiting an elevator, or leaving an office or a room when others will remain present, it is customary to say “con permiso” (or more simply, “permiso“). When someone else says (con) permiso, in these situations, it is customary to reply with the phrase “propio.”

Etiquette when visiting Mexico’s churches

Whether you are visiting a church as part of a leisure tour, attending mass, or some other formal event there, for example a wedding or funeral, you ought to observe certain rules of etiquette when entering the church.

• Be respectful in your attire: shorts, beachwear, cut-off tops, and other very casual clothing should not be worn inside the church.
• Men must always remove hats (including baseball caps), scarves and gloves.  Women may wear a head covering —that can include a hat/scarf, but not a baseball cap— and may be encouraged or expected to do so in some of the more traditional Catholic churches.
• Churches are a place of worship: be mindful of any religious services taking place and don’t interrupt the services.
• Do not use flash photography.  In some smaller communities, for example, rural Chiapas,  taking photographs in and even around the church is strictly forbidden.
  See also: Photography etiquette.
• It’s respectful to leave a donation (the donation box is typically near the main entrance/exit) to help with church expenses, whether you are touring or visiting for a specific event.  If you attend mass, the alms basket may be passed around and it’s appropriate to contribute.  Take cash with you.

Beware of hands on hips, and in pockets

Putting your hands on your hips is a sign of aggression in Mexico; and placing your hands inside your pockets when in conversation with someone, as in many countries, is regarded as bad manners.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

• Making friends and cultivating social networks
• Adapting and settling-in to your lifestyle in Mexico
• Finding balance and purpose in your Mexico lifestyle
• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Articles about Mexican culture
• Articles about local customs
• Essential skills for expats series

The constant pursuit to make change

¿No tiene cambio? —haven’t you got change?— is an expression you will soon get used to hearing whether it’s in offering up a 50-peso note for a 30-peso cab ride, or a 100-peso note for a 20-peso coffee.  And it’s not only at street stalls, outdoor markets, or in taxis.  The “no change” response is as frequent at convenience stores and other local shops, restaurants—and even occasionally at the supermarket checkout.

With a large informal economy, most of the country’s daily transactions are paid for in cash.  But even in the formal economy, cash is the preferred method of payment.  Bankers estimate that of all the transactions conducted with debit cards, nearly 90% are to withdraw cash from ATMs.

Although debit card use is becoming increasingly more common, many people here still prefer using cash, even at gasoline filling stations—which, by the way, are among the best places to get change if you’re stuck with nothing but a 500-peso note (that can be as frustrating as having no cash at all).

You’ll come to find that small change is essential in Mexico: for tipping, for small purchases from local independent traders (even when they have change they will not be pleased if you pay for a 10-peso purchase with a 100-peso banknote), and even to break larger notes for others (friends, family) who may need change at any given moment.

The game of ‘change tug’ between buyers and sellers

With so much currency around, it’s a wonder people can be so reluctant to give change.  Some have change, but don’t want to break a large bill for fear it will leave them without change.  One infuriating twist: people with notes in the cash register will, at times, hand you all your change in coins.

One of the reasons why change is hard to come by with small local stores and local markets early in the day is that these traders often don’t begin with a ‘cash float’—they are relying on their customers to furnish them with their float as their trading day progresses.  Ambulant street traders work in similar fashion.

Random bill combinations at ATMs

ATMs sometimes dispense a range of smaller notes, and sometimes they dispense only large bills.  It can be inconvenient when you withdraw $2,000 pesos and the machine dispenses it all to you in $500-peso bills. (Some machines dispense $1,000 peso bills.)

The distribution of banknote values that are dispensed to you will depend on how the machine is programmed, how much you request, and what denominations are available in its bill cartridges at the moment when you make your withdrawal.

Ideal places to make change

You can take large bills to any retail bank and ask for change, and by law you don’t have to be a customer of the bank to request change from them.  If you use an ATM during banking hours, you can walk from the lobby where the ATMs are into the bank and ask the teller for change.  You can ask for smaller bills and coins.

Other good places to “make change” if you find yourself with a wallet full of large bills include gasoline stations, ticket kiosks at bus terminals (especially during busy weekends), and busy central markets in larger towns and cities.

When you’re traveling on tolled interstate highways, note that the toll booths only accept payment via windshield ‘tag’ devices and cash—and thus toll booth cashiers are good places to make change from those 500- or 1,000-peso bills the ATM dispensed to you.

If you’re staying at a large hotel resort, the front desk will usually break a larger note for you to use as tips; $20 peso bills are a popular choice.  Indeed, the $20 peso bill (and coin) is possibly the most versatile banknote for use in small trades, and for tips.

Learn about money and banknotes in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a wealth of information about Mexico’s money, banking services, and banknotes.

• Articles about Mexico’s banknotes
• Latest articles about Money and finance in Mexico
• Download our free eBook about Money and Banking Services in Mexico
• Download our free eBook about the Cost of Living in Mexico

Books’ row in Mexico City

In the south of Mexico City, where Miguel Angel de Quevedo avenue crosses Avenida Universidad —about five minutes from the Bohemian hangout of Coyoacán— is a mini paradise for bookworms.

Three major bookstores, Gandhi, El Sotano, and Fondo de Cultura Economica, and a dozen or so smaller ones, line both sides of the street. Outside are wooden trays with books at throw-away prices, and inside you’ll find special offers on those less likely to be thrown away.

Mexico City remains the place where the widest selection of books and bookshops can be found, and some well-known chains have most of their branches in the capital.

Bookshops are still popular in Mexico

But while in many developed countries bookshops have been closing, Mexican chains have been opening new stores. Like bookshops everywhere, they have also added small gifts, toys, games & puzzles, and other paraphernalia to their offerings to make the business work.  This may annoy some purists, but somehow it’s hard to get worked up about a model that means the book business can continue going.

• Cafebrería El Péndulo —coffee shop-bookstore— boasts several branches in Mexico City, including in trendy neighborhoods such as Polanco, Condesa, Roma, and San Ángel.
• Librerías Gandhi has expanded with new stores in Mexico City, and also has branches in 24 of Mexico’s 32 states.
• El Sótano and Casa del Libro have more than a dozen branches.
• Gonvill Librerías is the biggest chain in Guadalajara, Mexico’s third most populated city and which is also host to a major international book fair each year.

These chains tend to stock the best selection of books, often beyond the capacity of the shelves so that many are neatly piled up.  You can find most books in Spanish at these stores.

And while many, especially Gandhi and El Péndulo, have one or two shelves of books in English and French, here it tends to be hit and miss.  You might find occasional books of interest, but you are less likely to find a specific title. (For some you can check availability online.)

Buying eBooks in Mexico

Since eBooks are virtually borderless, there are as many options in Mexico as anywhere else.

Amazon’s Mexico shop sells Kindles, and you can usually find almost any book published in English or Spanish in the local Kindle store.  Apple Books are an option for those who use Apple devices —iPhone or iPad— although they don’t have a dedicated eReader like the Kindle.

There’s no accounting for taste, and online reviews show some people are impressed with the Apple Books app, others not so much. For those using Android, Google Books is an option, and again, it has the disadvantage of not having a dedicated eReader.

In Mexico, the Gandhi and Porrúa book chains have an agreement with Kobo Books and sell Kobo eReaders, which are popular in Canada and parts of Europe like France and Italy. (The Canadian digital bookseller Kobo was acquired by Japan’s Rakuten Group in 2012, so the app says Rakuten Kobo, although people still widely refer to Kobo books).

Both Gandhi and Porrúa sell eBooks on their own websites, which can be downloaded onto the Kobo reader or using the Kobo app installed on devices, and you can also download eBooks directly from the Kobo website.

Depending on how budget conscious the reader is, it can be advantageous to keep open several options, as sometimes a title will be available on one platform and not another, or cheaper on one than another.

The Kindle, Kobo, and Google Books apps are available on Apple and Android, but the Apple Books app isn’t available on Android.

Finding books not published in Spanish

When you are looking for a particular physical copy of a book not published in Spanish —such as a new release— the options are to stock-up on a trip abroad, or order it from a book seller online—most of which will ship books to Mexico with no problems, but not necessarily that quickly. If you want a particular book right now, eBooks are the way to go.

Mexico’s department stores and big box stores have book sections, but these vary widely in selection and quality. There are about 150 Sanborns stores with magazine sections offering international titles published in English, but not much in the way of books published in English beyond current best-sellers.

Fancy browsing

Even the most bourgeois of us like to dig around for books in a bohemian atmosphere, and for that there are plenty of elegant bookshops—although that isn’t where most Mexicans go to buy reading material.

Statutory public holidays in Mexico

There are currently seven regular statutory national holidays in Mexico; an eighth one, on October 1, is only observed every six years—on the occasion of a Presidential inauguration.

Where a statutory holiday date falls on a weekend day in any given year, no additional compensation is given (by law) to employees, although companies may offer a day-off in lieu.

Long-weekend holiday dates

In 2006, Mexico’s Congress passed a new law creating ‘Bank Holiday Mondays’ —modeled on public holidays observed in the UK—whereby three of the seven federal holiday dates are observed on the nearest Monday, creating longer, three-day, weekends.

The move was particularly welcomed by Mexico’s tourism industry as well other retail and leisure businesses that have bolstered their trade through the advent of these long weekends.

Notwithstanding the three long weekends brought about by law, Mexicans have long been expert in creating so-called puentes (‘bridges’): the art of taking additional days either side of a holiday date to create a longer period of rest, usually involving a weekend.

Those who work get paid extra

Official public holidays see banks, offices, and factories closing their doors.  However, leisure facilities, tourism services, and many shopping centers in bigger towns and cities remain open for business. They must, however, pay their workers overtime for working on national holidays. Many of the better employers pay overtime and, additionally, give their employees a day-off in lieu.

Civic holidays are different to national holidays

Mexico observes a good number of civic holidays, too. These are not national holidays, although the law does allow for some states and municipalities to observe these Civic dates locally.  The Battle of Puebla, more commonly referred to as Cinco de Mayo, is a good example of a Civic Holiday that is observed in the state of Puebla, but not elsewhere in Mexico.

Calendar of annual holiday events in Mexico

If you’re planning to visit Mexico, make a note of the public holidays as these dates often provide an opportunity to witness interesting cultural and historical events as well participate in lively parties and festivities.

It’s also essential to book transport and accommodation ahead of time during peak holiday periods, as Mexicans often plan their own vacations around these dates: expect airplanes, buses, and hotel rooms to fill up.

You can find more detailed information about public and civic holidays on the Calendar of Festivals and Events in Mexico here on Mexperience.

México Lindo y Querido
si muero lejos de ti
que digan que estoy dormido
y que me traigan aquí

The ballad was first made famous by  Jorge Negrete (1911 – 1953) who ironically died outside of Mexico—succumbing to hepatitis in Los Angeles at the young age of 42—and his body was repatriated to rest at the artists’ corner of El Panteón Jardín in Mexico City.  Even today, his name continues to be a musical icon in Mexico.  The original version of his ballad can he heard here on YouTube.

The song itself lives on as a centerpiece number for mariachi bands, and has also been continually covered by a roll-call of famous Mexican musicians; the most recognizable contemporary version is the one performed by Vicente Fernandez.

Another contemporary recording of the ballad has been produced by “Playing For Change”—who sent a team across Mexico recording the ballad as interpreted by over 70 independent Mexican musicians from all walks of life and combining the work into this extraordinary music video:

The Mexican piñata party ritual

For the uninitiated, the piñata is a decorated clay pot or papier-mâché container filled with treats (more about those later) which is strung from a rope and flailed at in turns by party-goers who are blindfolded and armed with a stick.

A person at one end of the rope —or sometimes a person at each end— will be able to swing the piñata in an attempt to keep it away from its assailant, and make the game last as long as possible.

When the piñata breaks, the contents are scattered on the ground and a rush is made to collect as much loot as possible.

At most children’s birthday parties and Christmas posadas the order in which the participants get a shot is based on age, from youngest to eldest.  This is logical since the bigger the person, the more likely they are to break the piñata, and the idea is to keep it going for a good while—at least long enough to ensure that every child has a turn.

Stick flailed to the piñata song

The duration of a “turn” is as long as it takes to sing the piñata song, which goes like this:

Dale dale dale, no pierdas el tino,
Porque si lo pierdes, pierdes el camino.
Ya le diste uno,
Ya le diste dos,
Ya le diste tres y tu tiempo se acabó.

Which loosely translates as:

Hit-it hit-it hit-it, don’t lose your aim,
Because if you lose it, you will lose your way.
Now you’ve hit it once,
Now you’ve hit it twice,
Now you’ve hit it three times,
And your time is up.

Essential preparations for your piñata ritual

More thought and decision-making goes into a simple piñata ritual than you might expect:

First of all, what should go inside the piñata?

Christmas piñatas tend to be healthier than birthday piñatas.  They usually contain pieces of sugar cane, tangerines, or little oranges called naranjas piñateras, peanuts, a Mexican fruit called tejocote, limas (a sort of cross between an orange and a lime) and a variety of candy: boiled sweets, chocolate coins, and such.  Birthday piñatas tend to have more candy and less fruit.  Some piñatas may also contain small toys and other trinkets.

Next, where to stretch the rope on which the piñata will be strung?

This often involves at least one person, usually an adult, leaning precariously out of an upstairs window, on a rooftop terrace, or hanging-off the side of one of those spiral iron staircases common in Mexico as a way up onto the roof.

Finding the right stick to strike the piñata

A traditional wooden broom handle is the best, and if you visit your local ferreteria you should be able to buy one.

The new-style hollow plastic or thin hollow metal tube handles are too light to make any impression on the piñata, especially the more common papier-mâché ones which are quite resistant. A baseball bat is too heavy for the smaller swingers and gives an unfair advantage to the bigger children or adults.

Piñata shops actually sell sticks that are about the right size and weight, which is fine in today’s world of ready-made.  If the stick doesn’t break during the ritual, it can be stored ready for the next party.

Add a blindfold and the piñata ritual can begin

Once the piñata is all set up, and someone finds an adequate scarf or bandanna to use as a blindfold, the fun is ready to begin.  (The little children are not blindfolded, by the way.)

Unwritten rules and strategies

If the piñata is one of the spherical ones with paper cones stuck on it, a common strategy frequently used by players is to knock-off one or more of the cones without breaking the piñata.

There’s a sort of unwritten rule that if you break one of those off, that ends your turn, but you get to keep the cone, which is useful for filling with goodies once the piñata is broken.

If the piñata is thematic —Disney characters seem perennially popular— an arm or a leg or any other non-core piece of the piñata could be broken-off and kept for the same purpose.

Time outs, the break, and the final rush for the bounty

With clay-pot piñatas, one good crack can break them open and the contents would spill on the floor.  With the more common and most popular papier-mâché variety, often the piñata will split rather than break, and just a few things fall out, prompting some of the children to rush-in to grab them while the person with the stick may still be in full-swing: if blind-folded, they might not realize the piñata has been split.

This calls for a time-out while the stray pieces of fruit or candy are retrieved. If the split or tear in the piñata is big enough, the person in charge of the rope will usually shake it up and down so that more fall out.

Then one of the adults will take it upon him or herself to declare the piñata broken, step into the arena, grab the damaged artifact and shake it until all the contents are emptied onto the ground.

This signal is a cue for the scrum, as children rush-in armed with their cones and other piñata parts, or at least one of those ubiquitous plastic bags, to fill.

After the adrenaline fest, adults with brooms appear to sweep up the remains of tissue paper, papier-mâché, and the odd broken fruit no one claimed; and some redress is made in benefit of the less aggressive of the participants whose share of the loot doesn’t come anywhere near to what even the least social-minded might consider fair.

In this fifth and final part of the series we explore the need to develop cultural awareness as you settle-in and adapt to your lifestyle in Mexico.

Getting to know Mexico well and becoming intimately involved in the country and its ways is a skill that can only be truly developed with the experience of having lived here for a good while, and taking the necessary care to observe, acknowledge and learn about the local environment you have adopted as your home—whether you live in Mexico full-time or part-time.

However, some background research into Mexican culture, how its society is structured, and learning about the country’s social etiquette can help you to show up in Mexico better prepared for everyday social and business interactions.

If you plan to work in Mexico, whether under the auspice of a formal employment contract or working independently, you’ll also need to familiarize yourself with Mexican business etiquette.

If you’re planning to call Mexico home, it’s worth getting an understanding of how the social fabric is structured. Understanding how the government is structured, the basic principles of the country’s legal and judicial systems, how the police and military operate, how religion is practiced and so on, will help you to get a broad backdrop to this country and its social norms.

Understanding social etiquette is vitally important when you are in the throes of adopting a foreign country as your home. Behaviors which appear irregular to you may be quite normal in Mexico; and vice-versa. You can avoid potential embarrassment and social faux pas by becoming familiar with local social etiquette.

For example, understanding how the social structure is organized, the formalities of language use in everyday situations, the expected use of professional titles, the appropriate way to greet people, how to dress, dinner table manners, giving gifts, time-keeping and a miscellany of social etiquette practices will help you navigate the everyday nuances of Mexican culture and social traditions respectfully.  You can find further insights on all this on our guide to social & business etiquette—see the Resources section below.

If you plan to conduct business in Mexico, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with a further set of rules—those concerning business etiquette. As we described in part four of this series, doing business in Mexico is distinct to doing business in the USA, Canada and western Europe.

Moving to a foreign country to live is challenging enough. Adopting that country and embracing its culture and ways is a life-skill that requires a degree of presence and observation, patience, understanding, and acceptance. In these respects, kindling your relationship with Mexico will be like kindling a relationship with any other. Patience and tenacity will also be required, because even in laid-back, easy-going cultures with a great climate, life is difficult sometimes.

Today, an unprecedented number of Americans and Canadians —and an increasing number of Europeans— are not just talking about moving to Mexico, they are actively pursuing those plans.

Foreigners who come to Mexico without the open mindedness, flexibility and patience required to adopt a foreign country will almost certainly find themselves increasingly frustrated, agitated, and may end up leaving—but it doesn’t have to be this way.  For those who come to know these lands, and who are willing to assimilate the culture with its foibles and graces in equal measure, Mexico provides foreign residents with one of the most unique and rewarding living locations the world has to offer.

Resources for developing cultural awareness

Learn more about settling-in and developing your network of contacts in Mexico.

• Finding your place in Mexico
• Adapting and settling-in to your new lifestyle
• Cultivating your social and community networks
• Mexican Spanish language use in everyday situations
• Guide to social & business etiquette
• Latest articles about Mexican culture and local customs

In this second part of the series, we explore the need to develop flexibility and patience as you settle-in and adapt to Mexico.

For a variety of reasons, which include bureaucracy, ceremony, and cultural habit, some situations which develop in Mexico could appear quite frustrating to unwary foreigners.

Sometimes it’s because one is “used to” things, especially supposedly simple things, happening differently (usually more quickly) than they might do in Mexico. Sometimes, the lack of something you really need or would very much like within a certain time frame can lead to frustration, inconvenience—or even loss.

If you plan to live in Mexico, you’ll need to develop degrees of flexibility and exercise a generous helping of patience with yourself and with others; not just from time to time, but as a matter of course. If you don’t have a naturally flexible character and cannot come to find the patience in yourself to adapt, you might discover Mexico to be a very challenging place to live.

Many foreigners who have settled in Mexico and now make this country their home share stories about how they moved away from stressful lifestyles to find a more agreeable rhythm in Mexico. They describe how the process is almost cathartic, but only as and when they accepted how Mexico is and let go of once habitual demands which appeared to plague their thoughts. This transformation is narrated quite well in Tony Cohan’s popular book On Mexican Time.

Foreigners who come to live in Mexico and cannot find peace with how things are here usually begin to display impatience, frustration, and anger which can sometimes even lead to lack of general respect in formal or informal situations. Inevitably, these frustrations fall on “deaf ears” when dealing with most people.

Moreover, although Mexicans may not outwardly react to antagonistic behavior, the ultimate outcome in a situation could be made worse for the person exhibiting a low mood, through deliberate obstruction —or perhaps total rejection— of his or her wishes: not because it is impossible to fulfill them, but as a response to what is deemed impoliteness.

Remaining calm, allowing matters to take a natural course, being flexible with your plans and expectations, and exercising patience are noble pursuits anywhere you live, and in Mexico they are particularly helpful in everyday situations.

Being a foreigner in a foreign land means playing by your host’s rules. Given that there are an estimated one million foreigners living in Mexico full or part-time suggests that the rules and customs are not that difficult to adopt, and may indeed harbor some inner value.

Resources for adapting to Mexico

Mexperience’s extensive and continuously-updated guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico is packed with helpful insights and local knowledge to help you settle-in to Mexico.  Here are some chapters from that guide, relevant to adapting:

• Adapting and settling-in to your new lifestyle
• Finding purpose, routines and balance
• The journey to finding your place in Mexico
• No Hay: learning to assimilate impermanence

Changing tastes in coffee consumption

With the rising popularity of coffee-drinking for entertainment, the casual expert who knows that the good stuff is called arabica and grows on mountains is in ever-greater company, and the value of that knowledge as a conversation opener has dwindled somewhat.

The purveyors of the best coffees tend to print that kind of information all over the packages, and some even include rather sophisticated stories about how the coffee comes to be in the bag at all, almost rivaling the verbosity of the cereal companies who provide enough literature on the box to see you through a week of breakfasts without having to pick up a newspaper or speak to anyone else at the table, except to waffle something that sounds like “I’m reading” through soggy flakes.

There are many, if not infinite, combinations of roasts and grinds for the different coffees to make it impossible to say which are the best; besides, there is no accounting for taste.

Coffees grown in Mexico

Possibly the best known Mexican coffees come from Chiapas, which is the state that produces the most. But there is plenty to be said for Oaxaca state’s Pluma region, as well as coffees grown in Veracruz state’s Córdoba region.

For home consumption, a fair selection can be found at most Mexican supermarkets, although for a wider choice, the coffee shops that grind the beans on the premises are a good place to go: they also tend to have more sizes of bags, so you can try out different kinds quite frequently, ordering quarter-kilos (about a half-pound), “un cuarto,” or find one you always want, and buy a big bag of it. The handful of high-end food shops, some with branch networks across the country, also stocks ample ranges of high quality Mexican and imported coffees.

It’s probably fair to say, without being too nationalistic, that Mexico produces enough of its own good quality coffee as to make paying extra for imported grains a waste of money. Of course there is the Malinchista factor to consider, for which Colombian and Costa Rican coffees are readily available as well as the top Italian coffee brands, although generally speaking malinchismo doesn’t apply to hot drinks. That may be just as well as a majority of the coffee drunk in Mexico is still of the instant kind, and there you definitely want to stick with the Swiss company’s brand.

Instant coffee is still popular in Mexico

Not everywhere has good coffee, and some restaurants that specialize in other areas definitely fail in this. A number of taco restaurants have cottoned-on to the trend in customers’ demands for a decent coffee after a meal and now serve proper Café Americano, Cappuccino, or even Espresso, but there remain others whose only offering is “agua para Nescafé,” (they bring a cup of  hot water, a spoon and the instant coffee jar), or “café de olla,” which is coffee made in a cooking pot, la olla, and sweetened with treacle, piloncillo, and cinnamon. Tastes fine, but isn’t what you might expect.

Tipping in a variety of situations

The practice of tipping goes far beyond the restaurant table here. As our guide to tipping etiquette explains, there are many situations in Mexico where a small tip is appropriate, and keeping change on-hand, in the form of small denomination coins, is essential for this purpose when you are visiting or living in the country.

Key situations where a tip may be appropriate

There are three situations which are worth a particular mention as they are often overlooked by visitors and residents new to Mexican culture:

Chamber maids

The first relates to the unsung heroines (they are invariably women) of the hotel industry: chamber maids.   They will often travel a considerable distance to reach your hotel and spend the day cleaning and keeping guest rooms in good order, so that when you get back to your room, it’s waiting for you clean, fresh, and tidy.

It’s appropriate to leave a small tip and leave it each day because work schedules change, and the maid who cleaned your room initially may not be on duty the day you check-out.

The amount of the tip should vary depending upon the category of hotel: a sum in Mexican pesos, left in cash on the side table (next to the maid’s greeting card if one is present), equivalent to between US$1 (for economy hotels) and US$5 (for luxury hotels) per day is suggested and will be sincerely appreciated.

Supermarket bag packers and car park helpers

The second situation concerns students and retired folks working at supermarkets across the country to pack bags at the checkout counters. For students, the money they earn contributes to the funding of their education; for retired folks, the money they earn supplements their pension.

When you roll your shopping cart of out the store into the car park you might notice some people waiting and offering to help you.  They will take your cart to your car (or hail a local cab, if you need one) and load your shopping bags into the car’s trunk.  A small tip of $5-10 pesos is appropriate.

Bag packers and car park helpers are not salaried and work entirely on tips.

All-inclusive hotels and package tours

The third situation relates to “all inclusive” hotels and travel packages or tours.  A small few packages stipulate that ‘tips are included’ and in this case no further tipping is required.

However in most cases, guides, porters, the concierge, meal table waiting staff, and the chamber maids (see above) will appreciate a tip—even if, for example, the price of your meals (or just breakfast) is included in the room rate.

For local guides and tour leaders: a reasonable tip commensurate with the amount of time and knowledge they shared with you is appropriate.

For hotel and waiting staff: one US dollar (equivalent in Mexican pesos) per bag for porters; a 10% tip of the bill (or what the bill would likely have been if the plan was a-la-carte instead of all inclusive) left on the table after each meal or round of drinks at the bar; and a tip for the chamber maids (see above) will be very much valued.

Further insights on tipping culture

Mexperience offers more advice about local tipping etiquette:

• Latest articles about tipping in Mexico
• Read our guide to tipping in Mexico which contains a comprehensive list of situations and suggested amounts you may consider tipping in specific circumstances
• Learn more about local customs and traditions in Mexico

Out of stuff

No Hay, in Spanish, means “there isn’t any,” and in Mexico the term may be applied to almost anything, anytime you need or wish to acquire something.

For example, the term may be used to express:

• a dearth of foodstuffs, “No hay tortillas” (they’ve sold out of tortillas for today);
• stuff in general, “No hay lentes de contacto de esa dioptría” (the contact lenses you wear are not in stock);
• and even services, “No hay luz” (power cut).

Batch availability of foods and other goods

While the overall availability of all kinds of things is Mexico has improved significantly in recent times, in comparison to its northern neighbor, a continuous reliable supply of certain types of goods can still be a hit-and-miss affair here, even in some of the up-scale stores selling imported goods and where items on display this week might not be there again within a month—and might not ever return.

This inconsistent and ‘limited batch’ pattern of supply can sometimes be a source of frustration, in most part, because Murphy’s Law dictates that the infamous ‘No Hay’ will spring up at the precise moment when whatever isn’t available will cause you some inconvenience, and never when it really doesn’t matter.

The impact of No Hay

The ‘no hay’ effect may be mitigated with some forward planning, but it can never be completely avoided, for example:

• It could be that your car just broke down, and ‘no hay’ applies to the very part it happens to need now.
• Perhaps the local store has run out of a key ingredient you need for tonight’s dinner party.
• The delicatessen cheese you eyed up in-passing at CostCo won’t be there next month.
• Perhaps you’ve been looking forward to eating tamales, and the restaurant you sit down at “doesn’t have any today.”

The impact of ‘no hay’ also depends upon where you are situated, how much energy you’re willing to expend in locating whatever it is you want or need, and what price you’re willing to pay to obtain it.

For example, if a store in Mexico City you go to says ‘no hay,’ there’s a high probability that some other place in the capital will have stock, if you’re willing to wear-out some boot leather (but more often, some tread on your car’s tires) to find it.

If you are in the provinces, ‘no hay’ could mean ‘no hay’ for hours, days, or weeks, —or ever— leaving you with little alternative but to try the next nearest ‘bigger’ town or city. Or Amazon.com.mx and its Latin American equivalent, MercadoLibre.com.mx.

Finding peace with No Hay

In the moment when it happens, ‘no hay’ may be frustrating, inconvenient or disappointing to your situation. Nonetheless, when you live in Mexico, the omnipresent ‘no hay’ will pay homage to your situations sooner or later.

A corollary hidden within ‘no hay‘ is that it presents an occasion to break a habitual pattern of buying the same things over and again—or taking things for granted. The situation thus invites you to make a different choice and perhaps try something else.

Part of the art of living in places like Mexico is that one comes to accept that, on some occasions, you just can’t—and that’s as it is. It’s part of the lifestyle tapestry here that encourages you to make peace with the fluid situations that will visit you, and ultimately with yourself.

Wide assortment of sweet and savory bread

It’s not unusual in the evenings to see people hanging around inside the shop, metal tray and tongs in hand, waiting for the next batch of hot rolls —oval-shaped bolillos or flat teleras— to be wheeled out from the ovens and tossed into the bins.

Then there are the shelves organized with a large variety of pan dulce —sweet bread— each piece with its own particular name.  Among the most popular are chocolate or vanilla coated conchas (shells), the sugar-covered bigotes (moustaches) or moños (bows), the plain mantecadas (cup cakes), ear-shaped pastries called orejas (ears), and the inevitable cuernos (croissants).

Then there are the crumbly cookies called polvorones (in various colors), the long, glazed pastries known as banderillas, and chinos, largish splodges of cake baked in wads of thick grease-proof paper, usually sprinkled with small pieces of walnut.

Bread shop scenes of a bygone era

In an era gone-by, the local panadería would often be the focal point of a bustling street corner, and in more innocent times than these, an evening meeting place for young lovers, particularly among the working classes. This was so common that the expression “¿a qué horas vas al pan?” (What time are you going for bread?) became a joke as a chat-up line.

Seldom lacking outside would be the vendor of tamales —sweet or savory corn dough served in a natural leaf wrapper— from a steaming pot settled into the front of a large tricycle; and not far away the wheeled oven-cart loaded with camotes (yams) and baked bananas would come trundling by, announcing its imminent arrival with an ear-piercing screech from a steam whistle mounted on the mobile stove, accompanied by the reassuring smoky odor from the smoldering charcoal embers inside.

A common and natural next-door neighbor to the bread shop is the grocery store —tienda de abarrotes— selling cold cuts, canned foods, soft drinks and liquor, and some have installed a rosticería: a roast chicken stand mesmerizing customers as they wait and watch inordinate amounts of grease drip from anemic-looking fowl going round and round on a spit.

Contemporary bakery stores in Mexico

Some of these scenes have been replaced over the years by the proliferation of multi-purpose supermarkets with their own in-house bakeries, particularly in the cities. The fancier supermarkets like CityMarket purvey a wide variety of sweet and savory breads baked in-store throughout the day.

Many of the old traditional corner street bread shops have closed, or their quality has gone downhill. Some are unable to compete with the variety of fancy doughnuts, and the slick presentations, or the price advantages of buying in bulk enjoyed by the large chains and many, if not most of the them, have lost their charm.

In their place, supermarkets with their own bakeries, specialist local independent bakers (most often advertising on social media), and larger bread shop chains like Esperanza have emerged to fill the never-ending demand for sweet and savory bread.