Thursday, February 10, 2011

Mexico's Tradition and Values


Mexico is known to be very traditional. There are various provincial and local cultural identities as well.  Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion of Mexico by whom their culture and traditions are greatly influenced. Many Mayan and Spanish aspects also appear to be evident in Mexican culture. However, even though Mexico is culturally diverse they believe strongly in Nationalism. 

Mexico has an evident social hierarchy system and the significant difference between the rich and the poor in Mexico supposedly creates a contrast in the culture of Mexicans.

Family is very important to the people of Mexico and though often it is here as well it is known that there are many families in Mexico who have three or more generations all living in the same household, which many people living in the America’s would think is crazy. Within a family the roles of each member are split according to gender. These roles and qualities are forced upon the different genders at a very young age. Through my research it was mentioned that girls are generally kept under very strict conditions until marriage and a significant event in their lives is the fiesta de quince años or more commonly known as a quinceañera. This event signifies the daughter to be eligible for marriage. However, no information was found about the youngest daughter not getting married and having to look after her parents instead.
 
Mexico has plenty of celebrations throughout the year whether it be a past victory, a religious ceremony or just a day worth celebrating they will celebrate it to the fullest. During major festivals the families often have large reunions of the various generations of the family. Some of the many major festivals that are celebrated annually in Mexico include Nuestra senora de Guadalupe, Mexican Independence Day, La Batalla de Pueblo and of course the Stratford Hall popular Cinco de Mayo.




Mexico is a country full of love, respect, dignity, colour, excitement and celebrations. 











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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Traditions and Superstions of Colombians



     Colombia has a diverse range of traditions amongst the different cultures of the region. There are three distinct groups, those living in the interior, those who live in the countryside, and those who live on the coastal regions. The people of the different regions all have their own customs and traditions. There are some common traditions for which they all come together however, there are not many. Some of these include elections, sporting events and pageants. The National Pageant of Panela is an example of a famous Colombian beauty pageant, a popular festivity even for tourists. The Barranquilla's Carnival of Blacks and Whites, Independence Day, Holy Week, and Christmas are also festivities and traditions that are commonly celebrated in Colombia. The various traditions come from the range of influences of the different cultures that reside in Colombia. Colombia is known to be one of the most multicultural societies and therefore many of these cultures have many affects on their traditions.


The Colombians due to Christian influence have various traditions for celebrating New Years’ and Christmas as well. An example is the rituals performed on New Years’ such as putting jewelry in a champagne glass for wealth in the year and writing faults and mistakes on a piece of paper and then burning it as a way to get 'rid of it'.


Colombians are known to be very superstitious for the read articles. They have many customs and believe strongly in taking actions to better your, luck, prosperity, health and love life.Some examples would be that if someone spills salt on the ground it signifies that they will live a bitter life as well as if you sleep with socks on you will live a short life and dropping scissors or a knife onto the ground is a sign or getting into a lot of fights in your lifetime. 







Sources:
http://superstitions.group7.over-blog.es/article-32546685.html