Day of the Dead: The calaveras of Jose Guadalupe Posada – gallery
Day of the Dead: The calaveras of José Guadalupe Posada
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Day of the Dead, a Mexican tradition in Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca – gallery
Day of the Dead, a Mexican tradition in Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca by Stephen Dyer Wells Photo Gallery
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Mexican muralists: the big three – Orozco, Rivera, Siqueiros
Arts of Mexico Gallery – The Big Three Mexico in 1910 was a country in despair. Foreign domination had been replaced by the tyranny of President Porfirio Diaz. Two-thirds of the people lived in abject poverty and slavery was growing at a faster rate than in the days of the Conquistadores. On Independence Day in […]
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What is the mariachi?
The only thing more Mexican than tequila is the mariachi and it seems a shame to have one without the other. Mariachi goes beyond music, it is the sum of a cultural revolution expressed through a group of musicians, dressed in popular clothing (most recently charro suits) which encompasses the essence of Mexico and its […]
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Los Dias de los Muertos (the Days of the Dead)
Foreigners have more trouble understanding Los Dias de Los Muertos than any of Mexico’s other fiestas. At first glance, Day of the Dead decorations, colored paper garlands, little skeletons performing daily tasks and sugar skulls inscribed with names remind visitors of Halloween. Other tourists discover that much like Memorial or Remembrance Day back north, families […]
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November 2: the Day of the Dead
Dale Hoyt Palfrey © 1995 Her face is unforgettable and she goes by many names: La Catrina, la Flaca, la Huesuda, la Pelona — Fancy Lady, Skinny, Bony, Baldy. A fixture in Mexican society, she’s not some trendy fashion model, but La Muerte — Death. Renowned writer Octavio Paz observes that, undaunted by death, the […]
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Mexico holiday and fiesta calendar – Mexican Holidays
Fiestas abound in Mexico. The following listing of major Mexican holidays, by no means complete, is intended to help the newcomer to Mexico understand the motive for hearing rockets blasting off at dawn, finding a local bank or post office closed on a weekday, or encountering traffic brought to a halt by a passing parade […]
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Feliz navidad: Making merry in Mexico
Dreaming of a white Christmas? If you’re spending December in Mexico, forget it! The closest you’ll come to frosty is to reminisce on winter wonderlands while sipping an icy margarita. You can expect the holiday season south of the border to be as warm and colorful as a tropical garden. And you’ll discover a delightful […]
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La Virgen de Guadalupe – Mother of all Mexico
Strolling through street markets, browsing the tourist stalls, visitors to all parts of Mexico see mountains of goods featuring the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. As tourists observe the impossibly colorful image repeated endlessly on caps, T-shirts, key chains, sequined appliqués, mud flaps, decals, bibs, murals, bumper stickers, tiles, candles, religious art, mirrors and […]
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Our Lady of Guadalupe: Tonantzin or the Virgin Mary?
Mexican History Pope John Paul II named the Virgin of Guadalupe Patron Saint of the Americas on January 22, 1999 and that year her Basilica was was the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. Today the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Queen of Mexico, is celebrated on December 12th, […]
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