Day of the Dead in Mexico

The celebrations around Day of the Dead, principally in Latin American countries where there is or has been a significant indigenous presence, are fascinating because Catholic traditions have combined with indigenous ones along a common thread: the remembrance of those that have passed.

In our country, these celebrations have become more and more visible over the past twenty years, and now it's common to find altars and offerings in places where the tradition didn't use to exist, were it was celebrated only by recent arrivals from the countryside, or where the tradition was on its way to extinction as a result of the commercial and cultural onslaught of Halloween, that day so poorly understood both in Mexico and among our neighbors to the north.

In the state of Guanajuato and its capital city, the celebrations around the Day of the Dead have traditionally had a very particular set of characteristics. The celebration has revolved around a visit to the cemetery to bring flowers to deceased relatives, arrange their resting places and, in some cases, have a meal in their presence. And in their houses, townspeople have offered family and friends cajeta made from sweet potato, walnuts or guava on aniseed bread or the special bread known as muertitos.

Another tradition has been the offerings and altars for the deceased. These have always been very serious and sober. The typical altar has had a purple altar cloth, a crucifix, a photo of the deceased loved one, several of his or her most prized possessions, water, salt, and a sprinkling of straw.

The closest thing to how the Day of the Dead is celebrated today are the traditions of the municipalities near the state of Michoacán and in the few indigenous communities in our state. There has also been a notable influence on today's celebrations by the large numbers of people who have come to live in Guanajuato from Oaxaca, Veracruz and Tamaulipas, specifically to work at the Pemex oil refinery in the city of Salamanca from the mid '60s to the mid '70s. These relatively recent arrivals brought their recipes and their particular styles of offerings.

Some parts of Mexico are known for their elaborate offerings on the Day of the Dead. Guanajuato is known for its amazing craftwork: alfeñique sugar figures and all kinds of handmade toys and curiosities.

Spanish lessons: common words in Mexico

The official language of our country (Mexico) is Spanish, but it is common to find people who speak at least some English. And do not discard the possibility of running into someone who can assist you in any other language.

If your goal is to practice your Spanish, do it with confidence, because Mexicans like helping foreigners who are learning to speak our language. If this is the case for you, we'd like to give you a little “ayudadita” with some common words that we use everyday, and which you definitely won't find in an ordinary dictionary.

* Agarrar la onda .- Understand, “get it.”

* ¿Ah, chinga? - “Your messing with me.”

* Antro - Place of vice and perdition, where everybody wants to be.

* Canija or canijo - If referring to a person, means ill-intentioned, treacherous, whereas a thing that is “canija” is difficult.

* ¡Carajo! - Expression of strong disagreement.

* Carnal - The maximum a friend can aspire to, like a brother.

* Cascarita - Street soccer game where the participants think they're Ronaldo and the spectators think they're at the World Cup.

* Chafa - Of poor quality.

* ¡Chale! - "Something's not right" or "I don't like this."

* Chamacada - Practical joke that makes the person who falls for it look like a naive child.Chamaco - Child, lad, someone under the age of about 13.

* Chanclas - Shoes that are falling apart and look embarrasingly bad.

* Changarro - Shop or business.

* Chava - Young woman.

* Chela - Beer.

* Chescos - soft drinks.

* Chido - Cool.

* Chingón - Someone who does things very, very well.

* Cuate - Friend.

* Dar el rol - Take a walk.

* Desmadre - Chaos, craziness, excessive and out-of-control partying that is enormously pleasurable.

* Enchilado - What you feel when you overdo it on the chiles or you're upset about something.

* Está pinche - Lacking quality.

* Fritanga - Any food made from corn or flour that has been fried in oil.

* Madre - One of the richest words in the underground Spanish vocabulary. Expressions using it include: vale madres - it doesn't matter; hasta la madre - “up to here”; es una madre - said about something small or tiny; ¡en la madre! - an expression denoting surprise; ¡ni madres! - no; ¡está pocamadre! - excellent! ... and the list goes on ... and on ...

* Madrazo - Violent impact.

* Madriza - A beating.

* Neta - The truth.

* Pa'cá - Contraction of the words "para” and “acá” meaning “over here,” as in “come over here.” 

* Pa'llá - The opposite of “Pa'cá.”

* Pancho - Affectionate name for Francisco; slang for a big problem.

* ¡Qué onda güey! - Friendly greeting; ¡está güey! - innocent and vulnerable.

* Rola - Melody, song.

* Un chingo - a lot.

* Varo - Peso (Mexican currency).

* Wero - A person with blond hair.

* Ya merito - “Almost there” or “almost done.”

Mexico Eases Visa Requirements

In order to make it easier for international tourists to come to Mexico and to increase tourism, the federal government has launched a new visa policy that will come into effect on May 1, 2010. It has two main provisions:

1. Tourists, business travelers and individuals in transit (traveling through Mexico to another country) of all nationalities who currently require a Mexican visa and are in possession of a visa issued by the United States of America, can enter Mexico at any established border crossing point or port of entry with a passport from their country of origin. They will not need to present a Mexican visa, although Mexican visas continue to be valid documents for entering Mexico. In all cases, the documents presented to the immigration officers must be valid and unexpired.

2. Tourists, business travelers and individuals in transit of all nationalities who currently require a Mexican visa and who arrive in Mexico on flights from the United States of America and are not covered by the provisions of the preceding paragraph, can enter the country by presenting their valid, unexpired passport and their boarding pass to the immigration officer. The boarding pass must show that the passenger arrived in Mexico on a flight from the United States of America.

These measures strengthen Mexico’s international competitiveness vis-à-vis other tourist destinations and are part of the strategy of President Felipe Calderón’s administration to confirm tourism as a national priority for Mexico’s economic development.

Sectur: http://www.sectur.gob.mx/