Mexicans don’t have a great amount of privacy from their family as parental authority generally continues throughout a Mexican’s life, even after they have become a fully independent adult. The family also forms the basis for many people’s social circles. Mexicans are generally very close with the extended relatives from all different generations.
Most households consist of a couple and their immediate children, but multi-generational living is still common in both rural and urban areas. Children are not always expected to move out of home when they come of age. For families in the lower class and rural areas, a child’s departure for study or a job is seen more as a sacrifice on their behalf than a rite of passage.
Traditionally, in accordance to Catholic beliefs, families were quite large. Now that contraceptives' are acceptable, family size is between three to five people in urban areas and among the middle and upper class,
Women are responsible for bearing children, raising them, and performing household responsibilities.
The set of attributes generally perceived as ideal for males and females are known as ‘machismo’ and ‘marianismo’ respectively.
Males
Machismo - Men are expected to be masculine, authoritative, and self-reliant.
According to National Institute of Statistics and Geography, 70% of all Mexican households have a male head of house (jefe de familia) who is the primary income earner and decision maker for the family. In some traditional households, mothers will also answer to their adult sons.
Females
The ideal for women is heavily influenced by the iconography of Roman Catholicism. The Virgin Mary (or the Mexican Virgin of Guadalupe) symbolizes the embodiment of femininity that women are expected to follow. Females are expected to dedicate themselves to the family by being self-denying, they are to be caring, have homemaking abilities, and make themselves look attractive. Working women are still expected to handle child rearing alongside their domestic chores and professional roles. A ‘good’ wife, mother, sister or girlfriend should feel a sense of pride and fulfilment by fulfilling all these roles. The traditional way of thinking is slowing starting to change. Female submissiveness is far less of a popular quality than it once was for a woman. There is an increasing trend where husbands and wives are sharing domestic chores in the middle and upper classes of cities.
Female head of households are either widowed, separated or single for some other reason.
The roles of padrinos and madrinas (godmothers and godfathers) are not to be taken lightly in Mexican culture. They are responsible for:
The average daily life in Mexico varies depending on the socioeconomic level, gender, regional characteristics, and ethnicity and racial perceptions. Region has a large impact. The daily life from someone from the forests of Yucatan is very different from the life lead in Toluca which is an epicenter for commerce and communications. Industries include textile manufacturing, brewing and distilling, and food processing. It is well connected by railway and highway with Mexico City. There is vast range of lifestyles and class-based opportunities in Mexico. The society is divided by income and educational level; urban and the majority population of the rural poor.
In Mexican 
culture, birth is viewed as the most essential event of family life. In the Mexican view, a newborn immediately becomes part of the Mexican family system, which is the “hub” of society that binds people into intimate relationships.
New mothers and newborns generally stay within the house for 40 days to prevent diseases and complications. Mexican mothers typically carry their babies on the back, close to the chest, or over the hip in a rebozo (a strong sling-like scarf).
Mayan children of the Yucatan traditionally underwent a hetzmek ceremony a few months after their birth. During this ceremony, families named the babies and introduced them to various tools.
Most babies are born under the care of skilled attendants.
Northern Mexico - In some some parts trained personnel supervise water birthing.
Urban Women - Those who have employer’s seguro social (health insurance) prefer state-run or public hospitals since hospital births are very expensive.
Countryside - Healthcare options are limited. Poor rural women commonly give birth at homes with the help of mothers or midwives.
According to the statistics supplied by Global Road Warrior, the average infant and maternal mortality rates are 13 deaths per 1,000 live births and 33 deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively.
All Mexicans, including those in Amerindian communities, perform baptism and confirmation rites shortly after birth. The naming and the appointment of padrinos and madrinas (godmothers and godfathers) to look after the children in the event of the parents’ deaths take place at baptism.
Traditionally, grandparents and godparents who are charged with nurturing and teaching children about social life, spirituality, obedience, and respect for their elders. while their parents go to work. Co-parents (comadres and compadres) are also often designated for a child and participate in his/her upbringing.
Typical childhood activities in Mexico include going to school, doing homework, playing games with children of similar age, cleaning their own rooms, and learning gender-specific tasks.
Children participate in blessing an image of the Christ Child during the Christmas season (el arrullo del niño Jesus), “crown” ceremonies (de la corona) where a child receives a toy and a blessing, and evangelios, or prayers for a sick child’s health.
Having two or more children is highly valued in Mexico. Gender bias is prevalent with male children most prized for protection of the family lineage.
Mexico provides free and compulsory primary education between the ages of six and 15. The federal government, the states, and municipalities also facilitate preschool, primary, and secondary education, with emphasis on vocational and technical training. Many girl and boy students pursue their secondary education up to the age of 19 and then go on to university.
For rural children many of the schools are a great distance away, and their transportation system is lacking. Out of necessity, many rural children give up schooling for agricultural or factory work, or street vending.
Children are expected to be more self-reliant and take on the vital responsibilities of the household. Coming of age also marks the beginning of discrimination between girls and boys in Mexican culture.
A pre-teen recites the catechism professing their Catholic faith, is the rite of passage that marks the beginning of adolescence.
Girls undergo their “coming of age” on their 15th birthday. The celebration symbolizes the girl’s transition to womanhood as well as her readiness for courtship and marriage.
The celebr
ation includes:
Youths from poor households start working to financially support their families from the age of eight or nine years old (much earlier than the minimum legal age of 14 for non-hazardous jobs). Many urban boys regularly engage in part-time labor alongside their schooling, while rural boys give up their education entirely to work on the family farm. Surveys reveal that many poor young girls between the ages 12 to 15 are susceptible to trafficking, prostitution, and physical exploitation.
Mexican culture is quite accepting of dating and allows young people to court each other as long as they eventually get married. Dating begins in their early teens. Couples usually meet through school, work, or introduced by family and friends, although dating apps are becoming popular.
A typical Mexican male is expected to be manly, authoritative, self-reliant, and daring.
A typical Mexican female expected attributes are attractiveness, courtesy, homemaking abilities, and a caring attitude.
The Mexican culture allows for the selection of their own spouses, within their own race, social class. When a girl is given the consent to begin dating the parents, always prefer a boy of Mexican origin with a good family background and the intention to marry their daughter. Marriage comes after a period of formal noviazgo (engagement). The noviazgo can last for several years, where the couples regularly date, cohabitate, have sexual intercourse, as they make preparation for their future wedding.
Although uncommon in urban areas, arranged marriages still exists. Young people are often carefully chaperoned when they fraternize. A Mexican man is not allowed to pick up a woman from her home. They typically go on a date to a prearranged place like a plaza or shopping mall with parental approval or under the “watchful eye” of family members.
Boys still commonly seek the formal consent of a girl’s father for marriage in Mexico.
The legal age for marriage in Mexico is 18. Boys aged 16 and girls aged 14 can marry with their parents’ permission. The median age for a first marriage is 26 for women and 29 for men. Family hierarchy is an important factor in arranged marriages. Conservative traditional families consider it an obligation to marry off the older child of the family before the marriage of his or her younger siblings. Although, many men and women, are opting for common-law unions and cohabitation—widely recognized in the society—rather than legal marriages.
Mexican weddings continue to be one of the most lavish and well-thought-out events. Most traditional Mexican weddings will take place in a Roman Catholic church with many symbolic events planned throughout the ceremony. Mexican marriages are conducted according to civil law as well as Catholic tradition. The engagement and marriage are initiated and “sponsored” by the godparents, or padrinos, of the couple.
Help from all family and friends is needed in order to help with the planning tasks that the traditional wedding requires. Mexican children also often ask their godparents (Padrinos) for assistance in finding a job or even bearing their wedding expenses (including buying the wedding rings).
The bride typically wears her mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress as a status symbol and out of respect to her family legacy. Many modern brides choose to select their own gowns.
In Mexican wedding ceremonies both the bride and groom walk towards the altar accompanied by both parents. The groom walks in with mom and dad, and so does the bride. This tradition stems from the filial piety that is deeply seeded in Mexican culture. It serves to honor both parents and also as symbolism of the parents consenting to the union of their children.
There are many rituals and traditions Mexicans tend to have within weddings. Here are just a few of the most common ones for planning a perfect traditional wedding:
A long loop of lasso made into a rosary is placed around the groom’s and bride’s necks during the wedding mass by the Lazo Padrinos, meaning the Godparents of the Lasso. This lasso is a representation of the couples’ unity and responsibility in marriage. The loop holds the couple together while they are kneeling in front of the cross in a Roman Catholic church. Within different cultures of Mexican heritage, some couples choose between having one of two lassos around them: a silk rope or a long lei of orange flowers. Usually, the Lasso Godparents places the rosary, flowers, or silk rope on the couple after the couple recites their wedding vows. Following the placement of El Lazo, the priest will then give the sign for the couple to share a kiss, ending the ceremony.
Some traditions include the groo
m presenting the bride with 13 gold coins to symbolize prosperity and financial trust. First, the priest blesses the 13 coins and gives the approval to use them. In some parts of Mexico, such as Zacatecas or Guadalajara, the coins are broken in half after being blessed. One piece stays with the groom and the other with the bride, symbolizing their union when putting both pieces are put together. The arras are delivered by the Padrinos, the Godparents of the groom and bride, who are witnesses of their holy matrimony. The coins are usually either gold or silver.
Traditionally, the arras were given by the guests and family members to help the couple’s finances during the first year of marriage. Today, the 13 coins of wealth has became more of a symbol of unity and trust regarding the couple’s finances.
The reception is also filled with symbolic events. One way the guests and family members are able to show their love, and support toward the couple’s union is with the money dance. Each man pays to dance with the bride, while each woman pays to dance with the groom. All the money that is collected at the end of the night is the money the newlywed couple uses to start their new life together. Since Mexican wedding are quite large, the couple usually receive a large contribution.
While DJs and bands are common staples at a Mexican wedding. Many many celebrations still enjoy a good old Mariachi serenade. During cocktail hour, after dinner, or intercalated with the band or DJ services, a Mariachi band brings a touch of folklore and tradition to many Mexican weddings.
Catholic wedding rituals include:
Some Mexican wedding celebrations can last up to two days. This includes the actual wedding celebration and the tornaboda which is very similar to the day after brunch in the U.S.
Reception
At the reception, all guests customarily join hands to form a heart shape around the newlyweds while they do their “first dance” as husband and wife.
In olden times the entire town would assist in preparing foods for the reception, and of course, all would attend. Delicious Mexican dishes were prepared in honor of the couple. Sometimes a goat or pig would be killed and expertly prepared for the occasion. Delicious side dishes and treats would be prepared to accompany the main feature. A lot of love, time, and effort went into creating these meals.
Mexican food you can find at weddings all over Mexico include:
Drinks
Cakes and other Sweets
The traditional Mexican wedding cake used to be tres leches [three milks cake]. The soft, moist, melt in your mouth texture of milk infused cake does not allow for a tall stacked cake. Today, many flavors, cake consistencies, and designs are in fashion. On dessert tables you can find:
Favors and Bolos
Favors include rice for the ceremony wrapped in delicate tulle decorated with the names of bride and groom plus the date on a paper or fabric ribbon; and mementos to thank the guest for attending. Traditionally they were handmade items with the names of the couple and the wedding date. Today, many guests prefer editable wedding favors. Bolos are essentially baggies filled with treats and goodies. About two handfuls of decadent treats (such as popular candy and chocolates) are stuffed in these bags.
The wedding reception concludes with the traditional piñata and a rum-soaked wedding cake.
Newlyweds live in the husband’s parents’ home and move to their own separate households after a few years. The cultural expectations of marriage in Mexico mainly include the couple’s obligation to form a new separate household and produce children.
It is common in cases where parents disapprove of their daughter’s chosen partner. The couple usually spends a night together, which obligates the parents to accept the relationship and arrange for their formal union. Ironically, couples may establish their own home, live together for some years, have a few children, and then plan for marriage.
According to Cultural Atlas, Mexicans have a personal name(s) followed by two surnames – the father’s family name and then the mother’s family name. For example: Hector Marίa GONZALEZ LÓPEZ.
The first of the surnames (the father’s family name) is used alone to address people, whilst the second family name (the mother’s) is rarely used in isolation. For example, Hector Marίa GONZALEZ LÓPEZ would be appropriately abbreviated as Hector GONZALEZ.
It is not customary for Mexican women to adopt their husband’s surname at marriage.
Mexican couples can initiate divorces on various grounds, including cruel treatment, infertility, or simply mutual consent. The laws and courts display a higher degree of favoritism towards men when granting legal separation in cases of adultery or sexual dissatisfaction. Divorced women, however, have the right to retain their share of the marital property. Divorcees are also usually granted maintenance if they are not financially independent. The custody of children can be mutually decided by the couples themselves or it can be granted by judicial decision. Children aged 14 and older are free to choose the parent with whom they would like to reside after the couple separates.
Statistics reveal that Mexico’s divorce rate is among the lowest in the world, partly because the Catholic Church generally discourages it. With increasing self-dependence and decreasing stigma attached to divorce, however, divorces initiated by both men and women have been on the rise.
Family is central in Mexican society. Extended families containing several generations are common. Family units are generally large, with several generations living together in the same house or neighborhood. Family units are generally large with parents, their unmarried children, married sons and their families, uncles, aunts, grandparents, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren. Nuclear families consisting of a father, mother, and their children are more common among the upper-class and urban Mexican elite.
Traditional beliefs about infertility often burden childless parents with a social stigma. Married women in particular who do not bear children have the fear of being divorced, maltreated, and taunted by their in-laws.
Gender roles in Mexico have not change much over time. Mexican fathers typically provide financial support for their children, plan their education, and try to get them a good job after graduation. Men are considered jefe de familia (chief of the family) and primary breadwinner. He holds full authority and responsibility to make critical social and financial decisions.
The mothers are in charge of everything else from breastfeeding, getting the children to sleep, teaching hygiene, discipline, inculcating Catholicism, picking them up from school, helping with homework while maintaining a clean house, cooking meals, and dedicate themselves to holding high the family’s status. Working women are still expected to handle child rearing alongside their domestic chores and professional roles.
Are expected to respect and earnestly obey their elders. Mexican adolescents are increasingly taking part-time jobs and supporting their own education. In rural areas, adolescent girls help their mothers with domestic duties and boys contribute to cultivation activities.
Mexicans mostly play fútbol (soccer), baseball, tennis, volleyball, and basketball. They also enjoy bullfighting, wrestling, shopping, going to the beach, watching television, listening to music, and dancing. Having large family get-togethers on special occasions like birthdays and going on vacations with the entire family (including grandparents, cousins, and children) are also popular. Families regularly participate in Sunday Mass at the church. This is usually followed by a late breakfast at a restaurant and outings throughout the day.
Mexican families share lunch (the main meal of the day) together and spend their evenings together with their families.
Mexicans can legally start working at the age of 17 or 18. The Mexican Constitution prohibits employment of children under the age of 14 in any kind of work, although children aged 14 to 16 can work with approval from parents and state authorities.
Many of the young adults from rural areas move to the cities in hopes of finding a high-paying job. Since many of them lack the skills needed, they are forced to change jobs often. The migration of so many youths from the rural areas are having a negative impact on the the economic activities like agriculture and creating socio-environmental problems in the cities as well.
Business hours in Mexico are between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. with a one or two-hour break for lunch. Mexicans develop business contacts over lunch or socialize with their friends. Government offices operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and most banks are open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Most workplaces are open from Monday to Friday.
White Collar Workers
Works up to 40 hours a week and has flexible work timings.
Blue Collar Workers
Also known as laborers have a six-day schedule and work an average of 48 hours per week with overtime and/or late evening shifts. Workers are paid double wages for the first nine hours of overtime beyond the weekly work hours of 48. If someone works more than nine hours of overtime or works on a legal holiday, Saturday, or Sunday, he or she receives triple wages.
People feel that lack of support from the government is a primary reason for unemployment. It is also common to see people from different age groups standing every morning on the sidewalks with placards describing their skills and seeking jobs.
Women face more unemployment than men in the country.
Although the Mexican Constitution and labor Lays in Mexico provide equal rights, employment opportunities, and pay, the fact is women are given lower-status jobs and are pail less than their male counterparts. Women are encouraged to work outside the home even after marriage, only represent 40% of women are in the workforce. In high-level positions they earn 78% of a man's salary according to the National Institute of Woman. In low-level positions they find that women earn only half of what men earn. They end up working for long hours for low pay and are more susceptible to sexual harassment by their male employers. Women’s access to education and employment opportunities differs according to their ethnicity and class in Mexico. The small numbers of white women from the upper class have a distinct advantage over their mestizo (mixed) and native Amerindian counterparts, who together comprise most of the population. Working pregnant women and nursing mothers in Mexico are entitled to special maternal aid, cash subsidies, and a layette if they are insured.
The official retirement age in Mexico is 65 years for both men and women, because of coverage gaps in the Mexican pension system, many Mexicans must as long as they live.
Mexico’s retirement income system has three components: a means-tested age pension called 65+; a mandatory defined contribution system with a minimum pension [subject to 1 250 weeks (around 24 years) of contribution in the private sector]; and other individual and occupational private plans according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Senior citizens are highly regarded in Mexican society. They are usually cared for at home by their own children and family (usually the youngest female members of the household, takes on the responsibility of caring for old and ill) instead of being sent to an old-age home, where they spend much of their time caring for their grandchildren. They are valued for their guidance and experience. Elderly Mexicans are also known for their expertise in providing family members with simple and safe home remedies for ailments. Elders are viewed as the most important and mature members of the family, especially during times when advice and emotional comfort are needed.
The life expectancy in Mexico is 74 years for men and 79 years for women. Mexican grandparents normally, who are taught to revere and honor their elders.
The Mexican culture has various rituals to ensure a peaceful rest of the deceased soul. The beliefs are a fusion of Aztec, Olmec, Toltec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotecs, and Catholic philosophies.
There is an after-death ceremony call Deathwatch, which traditionally lasted for three days. Today the length varies and is much shorter. The body of the departed is veiled, and an all-night wake, religious service, and other mourning rituals take place. Relatives and friends brings food, drink, and other gifts as a tribute to the deceased.
The family and guests accompany the departed to the burial ground where they will be interred. On arrival the group recite ceremonial prayers and songs.
Mexicans h
ave many ways to remember the dead, because they believe that an uncared for or ignored soul will haunt or harass the living.
Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is observed every year in Mexico from October 31 to November 2. Those who celebrate Day of the Dead view death as a welcomed part of life. It has a foundation in the Aztec festival where they celebrated the dead and paid homage to the lady of death, Mictlancíhuatl (Britannica: Image to the left), who protected their departed loved ones and helped them in the afterlife.
Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the little angels)
On October 31, is All Hallows Eve, where the spirits of dead children are invited and are believed to be reunited with their families for 24 hours. Traditionally, Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the little angels) starts the holiday at midnight on November 1st. Families build alters called ofreda and decorated them with pictures of the deceased, food, toys, tiny toy skeletons or sugar skulls with the name of the dead, and pan de los muertos (bread of the dead). The photographs of the child are to encourage a visit from departed.
Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased)
The following midnight of November 2nd brings the celebration is a time to honor the departed adults. November 1st and November 2nd, is believed to be the time when the spirits of the dead are believed to return home to spend time with their relatives. Memories are shared and the ofrendas have a series of different components that vary from one culture to another that mostly include yellow marigolds, candles, pictures of the deceased, papel picado or cut tissue-paper designs, as well as food and beverages but the adult alters also include tequila, pan de los muertos (bread of the dead), mezcal (Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of maguey/agave), pulque (an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant and has a milky appearance), and jars of atole (a traditional hot corn and masa based beverage with cinnamon and vanilla) as offerings to the dead. In town there is music, dancing, ghost stories, death-theme dramas, official fireworks in the morning and afternoon, tolling church bells, and el baile de los esqueletos or “the dance of the skeletons” are also essential parts of death remembrances in the country. Mexicans usually go to the church, conduct anniversary Masses, visit churchyards, place large orange flowers on the graves, and pray in memory of their loved ones. Before night falls, Mexicans light a candle at the graveside for each deceased relative and return to their homes.
Dia de los Muertos “Day of the Dead”
The last day and the grand finale of the celebration honors all the dead. Modern celebrations have people come together dress up with Calavera (skeleton) painted faces with parades in the streets. Families decorate grave sits with marigold flowers, sugar skulls with the loved one’s name, flowers, and other gifts. It is also a custom to clean the grave stones.
See The Mexican Museum, in association with the Smithsonian Institute for more information.
