Mexico Site
	Les Shulman BellaOnline's Mexico Editor

Mexican Circuses an Entirely Family Affair
Circo Hermanos Ayala is run and operated by two brothers who along with their wives and seven children are the entire cast and crew of this 4th generation circus. For forty years this traveling circus has set-up their "big top" and entertained the families of the small Mexican town that I live in.

Home Delivery in Small Mexican Towns
A tradition in many small Mexican towns is the door-to-door and street-by-street provision of various merchandise and services. Such as in our town the home delivery of gas, milk, cheese, chongos, seasonal fruits and vegetables, pastries, sweet breads, pay de queso, tamales, atole, and ice cream.

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.

Mexican Stereotypes
In the Mexico site forum one of the topics is "Mexico Stereotypes-True and False" in which readers are asked to respond with their stereotypical impressions of the country and its people. I compiled those responses and here are the results. What stereotypes of Mexico do you have?

Mexican Traveling Carnivals
In Mexico traveling carnivals are very popular, especially in small towns in conjunction with religious fiestas. Where I live, Churintzio, Michoacan, every year there is a carnival during the Fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe, December 1-12. Not to be missed are all of the traditional foods!

Mexico's Annually Returning Emigrants
For most of the year, a high percentage of the picturesque Mexican state of Michoacan's rural villages and towns are semi-deserted. Come every December, the temporary return of the "Northerners" alters the face of those historically economically depressed communities.

Mexico's Main Plazas
No matter what size a Mexican community is, there is normally a main plaza in its downtown's heart. Known by a variety of names like el zocalo, el jardin, or la plaza, these outdoor communal "instititions" are the main gathering place for locals and visitors alike for a multiplicity of purposes.

Mexico's Secular Easter Holiday Tradition
Mexico is a country steeped in tradition. Perhaps no more so than during its religious celebrations of Easter. However, for a two week period during the Easter season a more secular tradition is also observed, the Easter vacation. That is not the best time for foreign tourists to visit Mexico.

National Psyche in Free Mexican Wall Calendars
For the last five years I have been collecting as a separate part of my "Mexican Museum" free calendars distributed by various merchants in my town and elsewhere in Mexico. However, it was only recently did I really discover what they collectively symbolize, the nation's psyche.

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.

The World's Wealthiest Person
The world's wealthiest person is a North American. However, for the first time in 16 years that title does not go to an American but rather it has been bestowed upon an individual from Mexico, a developing country. Meet Mr. Carlos Slim Helu and the ever-growing financial empire that he has created.

Tianguis Farmers' Markets Mexican Style
Dating back to pre-Hispanic Mexico and Central America, tianguis are bazaar-like, open air markets, that in one form or another, occur throughout Mexico's nine regions. Travelers can learn much about the region's people,traditions,culture, foods, and products by attending a tianguis.

Time Changes in Mexico
Mexico as a stereotype is known to traditionally have a very different concept of time compared to the USA and Canada. Is it surprising then that most of the country also officially has different dates to turn ahead and turn back the clocks compared to its North American Trade Agreement partners?