Mexico Site
	Les Shulman BellaOnline's Mexico Editor

Cantinflas Mexico's Non-Confrontational Folk Hero
Have you ever heard of Cantinflas? In Mexico, if you asked that question virtually everybody could proudly tell you who he was. Having starred in over 50 films, a brilliant social satirist, Cantinflas who was often referred to as "Mexico's Charlie Chaplin," has a permanent place in Mexican culture.

Day of the Dead in Mexico a Yearly Joyous Reunion
The Day of the Dead in Mexico is a festive, colorful, and decorative two day celebration in which deceased loved ones are fondly welcomed and remembered. Viewing death as a continuum of life, despite all of the sugar skulls and bread of the dead, nothing is goulish or macabre about it at all.

Mexican Folkloric Dances
Perhaps the country's most representative and most popular performing art form is Mexican folkloric dancing. Known as bailes regionales, these colorful and highly stylized dance and musical performances are creative expressions of Mexico's ancient and more contemporaneous past.

Pilgrimage to Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Honoring the "Patroness of the America's," Mexico City's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mexico's most sacred site and is the world's second most visited Catholic shrine. The basilica along with six other churches located around an immense plaza attracts millions of pilgrims per year.

Rebozos a Wearable Utilitarian Folk Art
Worn by women of all social classes in Mexico, rebozos are more than just colorful woven rectangular garments. They have been called the "indigenous folk art of Mexico" and also referred to as "wearable art." Unfortunately, in many places in Mexico, it is a craft that is in danger of extinction.

Sombreros
The broad brimmed and high round crowned sombrero, oftentimes intricately embroidered, patterned, and decorated, has become a national and cultural symbol of Mexico. However, would it surprise you to find out that in Mexico a "sombrero" is any style of hat that has a brim?

The Virgin of Guadalupe Mexico's Cultural Icon
Mexico is the second largest Catholic country in the world. The most popular and revered religious and cultural image in Mexico is the Virgin of Guadalupe. Transcending the religious domain, affectionately known as La Morenita, she is a symbol of Mexican identity and nationhood.

Tonala the Unadorned Handicrafts Mecca
Two of Guadalajara's nearby suburbs are nationally and internationally famous for their handicrafts, the upscale, quaint, and charming Tlaquepaque and the physically nondescript and drab Tonala. However, of these two artisan centers, only Tonala could be described as a "mecca" for handicrafts.