During our travels abroad we have found that Mexico still remains a mystery for some people, so we wanted to debunk some myths about our location, culture, cuisine and other things we’ve heard and read through out the web. Are they telling the truth?
MYTH #1: Mexico is part of Central America
A mistake we keep encountering, especially in maps that have fun confusing people by adding it in both North and Central. The truth is: Mexico is considered to be part of North America, along with the United States and Canada.
MYTH #2: Mexico is all about the beaches
They’re beautiful, but if you only visit that, you are miss out on incredible canyons, waterfalls, wildlife watching in rainforests, impressive colonial buildings, pyramids hidden in jungles, and the wonderful and vast Mexican ethnic groups.
MYTH #3: Mexico City is a small- not so important place
Not even during Aztec period, but now it’s one of the largest cities in the world. We have everything: great colonial buildings, more than 500,000 restaurants, parks, modern skyscrapers, arqueological sites, a castle, over 170 museums, and so much more. After all, we are Mexico’s capital and an important business/financial center.
MYTH #4: Mexicans eat burritos and fajitas
One of the biggest myths. Mexican cuisine is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. It demands to be appreciated to its fullest, without Tex-Mex dishes trying to pass as Mexican. The key is to stay away from touristy places and eat like/with a local.
MYTH #5: Tequila is THE Mexican drink
We do make tasteful Tequila, but that’s only one of our beverages (manufactured in just five of the 32 states of Mexico). Although we have also gained fame for our varieties of mezcal and internationally acclaimed wineries, there’s also sotol, pulque and beer. Really good beer.
MYTH #6: Mexicans are lazy
The privileged kind gets to work 9 hours a day in an office (some have to stay non-paid extra hours). Others, like street vendors, wake up at 3-4am to buy their products and stay on the streets till 11-12pm. If this is being lazy…
MYTH #7: Mexicans use ponchos and other ethnic garments
It would be nice not to lose the art behind the making of traditional clothing (every state has at least 5 different types), but no. We use regular ‘western fashion’ pieces that Mexican designers or commercial brands sell: jeans, t-shirts, maxi dresses…
MYTH #8: Cinco de Mayo is our Independence Day
Noup. Our Independence Day is on the 16th of September, where we do throw fireworks, wear sombreros or accessories in red, white and green, and have a big party. In May 5 we don’t even get the day off work. It’s only celebrated in Puebla, where the battle and victory over the French army occurred.
Hope debunking these myths gives you a little more context about our country, and makes you want to discover its hidden beauties. What do you think or have heard about Mexico? Leave us your comments and we’ll write another post with our answers.
Thanks for reading!
