Mexican culture and traditions

We jump into the ring with the luchadores, hear what the mariachi bands tell us about Mexican culture , let Latin American dances teach us the rhythm of the country and also take a look at the darker aspects of Mexican culture. What do Mexicans think of cockfighting and how do they feel about bullfighting? We also discuss one of the most important festivals in the country: the Day of the Dead.

Lucha Libre is a popular sport in Mexico, comparable to wrestling, which has become known worldwide in the USA thanks to celebrities such as Hulk Hogan or the Undertaker. The fighters, called luchadores, wear colorful masks and compete against each other in choreographed matches. One of the fighters usually takes on the role of the evil rudo and the other plays the good tecnico.

The Mexican Enrique Ugartechea is considered the forefather of the sport. He established the wrestling style known today for Lucha Libre in the 1960s, which differs significantly from American wrestling. Luchadores are known for their breakneck leaps around the ring, which are met with thunderous applause from fans who like to shower their heroes' victories with a glass of mezcal after matches. If the favorite loses, you'll probably also get a sip of the popular agave schnapps , because as the Mexicans say: For everything that's good: mezcal. Likewise for everything that is bad. The national drink of the Mexicans, which you can also get in our shop, also plays a leading role in the song “Copitos de Mezcal” by the famous mariachi Antonio Aguilar. Where the guitars of the mariachi bands sound, the cult drink is often not far away.

This music is deeply rooted in the culture of Mexico. Accompanied by guitars, the large, bass-heavy guitarrón and violins, the mariachi sing about love, death, long-fallen heroes and life in the country. The musicians, often dressed in black with large sombreros, are often seen, especially at weddings, birthdays and religious festivals. Their uniform goes back to the Charros, the Mexican cowboys of the 19th century. The country's first official police officers also wore this traditional clothing. She embodies the perfect man who is an ace at horse riding, popular with women and an accurate marksman.

While the audience sings along to the well-known songs, one or two bottles of mezcal are passed around. The musicians concentrate entirely on their repertoire, which often includes hundreds of folk songs. It is not uncommon for them to dance the Zapateado, a dance in which the musicians stamp their boots on the ground in a fast rhythm to accompany the music. Dance is the true elixir of life for Mexicans anyway.

Tres Hermanas, also called "The Three Sisters", is a traditional farming method in Mexico that involves growing agave plants for mezcal production. This method involves growing corn, squash and climbing beans together in a symbiotic relationship to improve soil fertility and reduce pest and disease pressure.

The corn serves as support for the beans, the beans fix nitrogen and stabilize the corn, and the squash provides shade for the soil. Tres Hermanas supports not only the high quality of agave plants for mezcal production, but also sustainable and traditional farming methods by reducing the risk of crop failure and improving yields. Additionally, it honors the cultural heritage of Mexico's indigenous communities.

Every year from the first to the second of November, the Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico. Preparations usually begin on October 31st and, depending on the region, even earlier. Día de los Muertos is a celebration when the dead return to earth. All over Mexico, skeletons walk the streets and vendors sell small, colorful calaveras on every corner. These are skulls and are often made of sugar.

The skeletons are celebrants who are wearing colorful make-up. Their faces look like richly decorated skulls, often with a broad smile on their teeth. Women wear the Cempazúchitl flowers in their hair. These are upright marigolds with large balls of bright yellow flowers. The Day of the Dead is not a festival of mourning in Mexico. Mexicans remember deceased friends, family members and partners with a lot of joy and humor. They tell each other funny anecdotes and thus keep the memories of the deceased alive. You drink spicy mezcals together, like the ones you can find in our shop . Festivity and death are not far apart in Mexico. The popular cock and bull fights also prove this.

Bullfighting is a dance with death. It's a macabre sport that still has many fans. Like so many things, the Spanish brought this spectacle to Latin America. What from the outside looks like mere torturing of an animal is actually a sport riddled with many rules, whose players are celebrated like heroes.

The fight is divided into three sections, called tercios. At the beginning, matador and bull meet each other. They are joined by picadores, riders armed with lances. The bull is provoked to attack the horses. The riders respond to these attacks with a lance thrust. In this phase, the audience should see how strong the bull is before more lances are thrown at it in the second part of the fight. These so-called banderillas are equipped with barbs and get stuck in the animal's back. If the bull is weak enough, the president – ​​a kind of referee – starts the finale. Now the matador and bull are alone again.

Armed only with a sword and his muleta (a small red cloth), the matador confronts the bull and challenges it to attack. The matador's skillful dodging is a dance of traditional movements that are carried out until the bull is completely exhausted. In the end, the matador tries to drive his sword through the shoulder into the bull's heart, which rarely results in a quick death.

The sport has many critics and it is becoming increasingly rare in Mexico. Bullfighting is already banned in many cities across the country. The same applies to the similarly cruel South American cockfight.

Although cockfights are banned in Mexico City, Sonora and other parts of Mexico, numerous other states still allow the fights. For many Mexicans, corridas are an important pastime. With beer and mezcal, they gather around the wooden walls that form the ring and bet on the roosters. They usually fight for life and death, and it is not uncommon for the winner to later succumb to his injuries. Only the owners of the roosters who invest a lot of money so that their roosters can compete against each other in the Palenque win. Mexico's national drink also flows here, because: For everything that's good: Mezcal . Likewise for everything that is bad.