Country Day Mexico By Esther B

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• The colors of the flag are:

• Green meaning a sign of independence from Spain.

• White, meaning religion, faith of believe for the Roman Catholic Faith.

• Red, meaning Union among Americans and Europeans.

• We Mexicans are known for our kindness and hospitality. Descendants of the Aztecs and Mayas, we show great artistic skills as well as pride for our heritage. Our common language is Spanish.

• Benito Juárez

who improved education in Mexico and achieved a flourishing Mexico economy

Selena Gomez: Actress and singer.

When talking about Mexican clothing, we must necessarily separate garments into three main groups:

• Modern clothes • Traditional Mexican clothing • Celebration dresses and costumes • In major cities, modern Mexican clothing do not

differ very much from the clothes we use everyday. Thanks to the globalization, young Mexican people living in big cities trend to wear clothes like loud-colored cotton t-shirts, snickers and jeans. But this changes a lot when we get out of the main cities and look into smaller towns, where we can see modern clothes with a “native” feeling, which is shown mainly by the colors chosen.

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People who live within those towns in Mexico seem to have a preference for earth-like colors, like brown or dark red, although it is not uncommon to find vivid greens and strong yellows as part of the clothes’ colors.

•  • Traditional Mexican clothing combines native and

European elements. The fibers of choice among the Mexicans are cotton, bark and agave (which were known and used by native Mexican pre-Hispanic civilizations to make their clothes), as well as wool and silk (introduced by the Spanish later).

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• In the past, Mexican clothing was dyed with natural components found in local plants, but as soon as aniline dyes were brought from Europe they became the first dying choice.

•  We can find traditional Mexican clothing in many varieties, and it can be distinguished by gender, by social status and by ethnic group. For instance, garments worn by women differ from those worn by men, and native clothing is different to “mestizo” clothing.

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• Typical women clothing includes a skirt, a “huipil” (a kind of sleeve-less tunic), a “quechquémitl” (a closed shoulder cape) and a “rebozo” (a kind of shawl).

•  • Mexican clothing for men is mostly “European-

like”, which means that both the trousers and the shirt are European garments, and possibly the only native addition to the men’s wardrobe is a large blanket cape, called “Sarape”. Men often wear Mexican boots too.

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• As for Mexican clothing used on celebrations, we can find a different costume for almost every special day of the year. National festivities are celebrated with typical clothes and accessories (including the famous Mexican Sombrero). Some special days like the Day of the Death are closely related to religion, and that can be seen on the costumes too. During the Carnival, the Mexican clothing of choice is the “Charro” suit, popularized by the famous musical ensembles known as the Mariachis.

• After the Spaniards arrived to Mexico carrying the Catholic faith with them, the Mexican religion experienced important changes that led to the exclusion of many deities in favor of one, which was the True God announced by the Spanish priests.

• However, far from being left apart and forgotten, many ancient deities were incorporated by the Mexican religion, creating a unique view of the Catholic faith. Nowadays, those deities can be found under several forms, and the rituals worshipping them are present as well.

• Many other elements of the ancient Mexican culture closely relate to specific days of the year, which have a special meaning for Mexican religion.

• Mexican food has been always considered to be very spicy. Well, that is partially true. Mexican food history shows that Mexico has given chocolate to the world, as well as several other specialties, including peanuts, vanilla, beans, coconuts and tomatoes. The traditional Mexican cooking makes use of these native elements to produce tasteful meals. With the arrival of specialties like pork, lamb, beef, wine, vinegar and cheese from Spain (brought by the conquerors), the Mexican cuisine evolved, by integrating these European elements into their own traditional meals.

• Perhaps the most famous products of the Mexican cuisine are the desserts. Mexican desserts combine hot elements and sweet elements to produce unique sensations on the mouth, because of both flavour and texture, and the combination of smells is also one of a kind.

• Bit by bit, fair trade coffee has made a tangible difference in many farmers lives. Children gain access to medical care and education, where before these services were non-existent. Much needed infrastructure is built, and progress against poverty is achieved. These advancements are being made because people in consumer countries realize that they can have a positive impact with the way they choose to spend their money. Fair Trade Certified coffee is a socially and environmentally responsible way to conduct trade between developed and developing countries. This alternative form of trade has the power to revolutionize the global economy, illustrating that the global community can work together to provide for everyone's needs.

• Medication Education