What is it like in a Mexican family? What are the differences to German families? What is everyday life like in Mexico?
Imagine if you were born in Mexico. Maybe your name would be María or Francisco. There would probably be a piñata for your birthday. This is a colorful paper mache figure that is hung up, for example in a tree. It’s filled with candy. Blindfolded, the children hit the piñata one by one with a stick until one child manages it and it rains candy. The other children sing the piñata song that limits the time. There are also piñata at many other festivals.
The family
In far more families than there is in Mexican families, the traditional division of labor prevails: the man works, the woman takes care of the household and the children. Only 45 percent of women in Mexico are employed.
The family is highly regarded, it is like the heart of society. You stick together, you celebrate all the important festivals with grandparents, cousins and other relatives, yes, you even go on vacation with the extended family. Traditional and conservative values are preserved.
Counting in Mexican
How do you do it when you count something by hand? You probably start with your thumb, right? It’s different in Mexico: You start here with your index finger, then come the other fingers and then, as number 5, the thumb!
The men in Mexico are often quite macho. They want to constantly prove their manhood. What we see rather negatively is still widespread in Mexico, such as whistling after pretty women.
Most Mexicans belong to the Catholic Church. Christian holidays and festivals are celebrated regularly, sometimes mixed with traditions of the indigenous ancestors (see Day of the Dead or Christmas).
December 12th is a very special holiday. It is the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. She is very adored, many girls are also named after her. In 1531 the Mother of God is said to have appeared to the Indian Juan Diego.
Typical Mexico?!
What do you think there is something typically Mexican? Most likely we think of the sombrero, the big hat made of straw. The field workers used it to protect themselves from the sun. The sombrero is part of the Mexican costume. Can you think of anything else? Just ask your parents what they think of Mexico! Maybe something of this:
Speedy Gonzalez – the fastest mouse in Mexico
Speedy Gonzalez is actually not Mexican at all. The cartoon mouse comes from the USA. But of course she wears a sombrero and she always shouts “Arriba! Arriba!” (Go ahead!). Chased by the hangover Sylvester, Speedy can always escape because she is the fastest mouse in Mexico.
La Cucaracha – the cockroach
“La Cucaracha” is a Mexican song, which is also well known to us, at least with its refrain. It’s actually a song from the Mexican Revolution and makes fun of a general who is ridiculed as a cockroach. By the way, cockroaches, also known as cockroaches, are part of everyday life in Mexico. You feel particularly comfortable in tropical countries…
Tequila
But adults certainly also think of tequila. It’s a Mexican liquor, so alcohol. It is made from a certain type of agave, the blue agave. There is often a caterpillar left in the liquor bottle. This should give the schnapps the right aroma. Brrr…
Montezuma’s revenge
What is Montezuma’s revenge? That’s what we sometimes call diarrhea. Montezuma II was the last Aztec prince. In the hour of his death, he is said to have put a curse on all Spaniards after they brought smallpox into the country, from which many Aztecs previously died. If tourists in Mexico are now suffering from diarrhea, it is said jokingly that Montezuma’s revenge struck.
Illegal immigrants in the US
Sometimes you see the border between the US and Mexico on TV. It’s a huge fence. The aim is to prevent more Mexicans from going to the United States without permission. More than eleven million native Mexicans are said to be living in the USA without having a residence permit. This also creates problems in the USA, because Mexicans are not allowed to work there without this permit. Many people have died trying to cross the border.
Mariachi
The mariachi are also typical of Mexico. These are musicians who make music in public places, at parties or in restaurants. If you call them to play at your own table, you give them a tip, for example 100 pesos per song. Their instruments are the guitar, violin, trumpet, harp and rattles called maracas. The music they typically play is also called mariachi music. The mariachi wear cowboy boots and a sombrero. The pants and jacket are embroidered. To get more information on Mexico and North America, check allunitconverters.
Mexican names
Names in mexico
Mexicans always have two family names. The child always receives the name of the father and that of the mother. It is also a tradition in Spain (see there). The father’s name comes first, the mother’s after. The most common surnames are Hernández, García, Martínez, López, and González. There are also often Pérez, Flores, Ramírez and Sánchez. The -ez at the end originally meant “son of…”, we know that from names like Petersen (Peter’s son). By the way: Because some surnames are so common, you can also be called María Hernández Hernández, for example.
Many names have pet names. Enrique becomes Kike, Umberto becomes Beto and Manuel becomes Manolo. Patricia becomes Patty and Guadalupe becomes Lupita. The first names that are most common in Mexico (among all inhabitants) are Juan, José and Francisco for men and María and Juana for women.
The most popular first names
And what are the most popular first names among newborns in Mexico? Boys are particularly often named Santiago, Mateo or Diego. Parents are also happy to choose Miguel Àngel, Emiliano, Sebastián, Leonardo, José Àngel, Jesús and Alejandro. By the way, Àngel means angel in German. While children are not allowed to be baptized Jesus in our country, this is even common in Mexico. And the Jesùs is abbreviated to a Chuy. The J in Jesus is the way, as the German ch in “ah” uttered the s is sharply spoken and the emphasis is on the second syllable.
For girls, Ximena is ahead of María José and Valentina. Also popular are Mará Fernanda, Valeria, Sofía, Camila, Renata, Regina and María Guadalupe.
Some parents also give their children Indian first names. Xóchitl (queen of flowers), Citlalli (star) or Itzel (morning star) are such names. The names of the patron saints on the day of birth are also popular.