Mexican Culture

Five States in Mexico are part of the Mayan World: Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatan. They invite you to visit and travel along this exciting path, where you will find majestic adventures, beaches, customs, fiestas and much more.Mexicans have had a talent for art -- and a love of bright colors -- since pre-Hispanic times. Today, Mexico is covered with murals and littered with galleries of contemporary and historic art, which are a highlight of the country for many visitors. Mexican creativity is also expressed through the country's vibrant folk-art tradition. Pre-Hispanic art consists mainly of stone carvings, frescoes and murals, and ceramics.

Spanish is Mexico's predominant language, but Mexican Spanish differs from Castilian Spanish, the literary and official language of Spain, in two respects: in Mexico, the Castilian lisp has more or less disappeared, and numerous Indian words have been adopted. Around 50 Indian languages are spoken by about 5 million people in Mexico; 15% of these Indians do not speak Spanish. Although Mexican governments since the revolution have been unsupportive of religion, more than 95% of the population professes to believe in Catholicism. While most of the indigenous people are Christian, their Christianity is usually fused with more ancient beliefs. Whole hierarchies of 'pagan' gods sometimes coexist with the Christian Trinity and saints. Since 1531, the most binding symbol of the Church has been the dark-skinned Virgin of Guadalupe, who is regarded as a link between Catholic and non-Catholic Indian worlds.