It should come as no surprise that in Mexico, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, Easter — Pascua — is the most widely celebrated and important religious holiday of the year. Observances that would be of interest to visitors from abroad may be witnessed in virtually every village, town and city in the Republic beginning with […]
Continue ReadingHuellas Experienced Mexico travelers recognize a sure sign that a local fiesta is in progress whenever they spy a churchyard or stretch of roadway bedecked with lines of bright tissue paper cut-outs. Papel picado— an enchanting Mexican popular art form with roots in the country’s ancient cultures–lends a festive air for many types of celebrations. […]
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Día de Muertos: Tradición de siglos que perdura Sin cantos ni rezos, los cucuchenses (estado de Michoacán) solo aguardan junto a las tumbas del panteón, adornadas con flores de cempasúchil y cirios encendidos, no faltan las ofrendas en comida para los difuntos. Se reconoce que en México el culto a los difuntos existe desde la […]
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In Mexico, the Christmas holidays begin unofficially with the saint’s day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. But can decorations appear anytime after the Day of the Dead on November 2.The festivities are in full swing with the beginning of the posadas — celebrated each evening from December 16 to 24. They are, in fact, a […]
Continue ReadingThe legend of Crecencio is often told by the people of Teotitlan del Valle. Crecencio arrived there as a peon that helped raise cattle and domesticated animals in the community. The years went by and in those times people had to collect tree bark to cure leather. In those days the tanner’s work was highly […]
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In the preface to his monumental biography Sor Juana, the late Octavio Paz wrote, “In her lifetime [1651 to 1695], Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was read and admired not only in Mexico but in Spain and all the countries where Spanish and Portuguese were spoken. Then for nearly two hundred years her works […]
Continue ReadingThe designs of Doña Eva Martinez are mostly 18th and 19th century with some pre-hispanic symbolism, predominantly earrings. They are of pure silver and treated to give an antique finish. The designs are distinguished by the use of symbols such as flowers, birds, swans, monkeys and keys. Each design has its own history or meaning. […]
Continue ReadingSeveral famous Mexican artists had serious physical disabilities. Three Mexican artists, whose very different works are admired annually by thousands, and who were born in successive decades of the nineteenth century, each achieved greatness despite the fact that they suffered from a serious physical disability. Jesús Contreras was born in 1866. He studied in Europe, […]
Continue ReadingOur cover this month is graced with a ceramic plate, lovingly created by local potter Marybeth Coulter-Best. Originally from Meno, Oklahoma, Marybeth makes her home at Lakeside. She credits her Mexican garden as the inspiration for all of her latest works. Marybeth is also a gifted photographer and painter; her work has been shown and […]
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Photo Gallery There’s a quiet elegance that engulfs San Jose del Cabo, which sits on the Sea of Cortes in Baja California Sur. Oh, it has plenty of hustle, as does any Mexican turista destination, with vendors offering “amigo prices” to passersby, trying to lure them into their shops with claims that today, the bracelets, […]
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