![]() ![]() Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) arrived and founded the state of Veracruz and continued, unhindered, to Tenochtitlan, where he settled with the blessing of the Emperor Moctezuma II (1480-1520). When Spanish conquistadores landed in 1519, Mexico was well contained. The social, political and religious structure was complex, efficient and tightly controlled. At its height, the Aztec Empire ruled around 5 million people – they were clever administrators and ingenious engineers. The Aztecs were military fighters who used force to extend their domination Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war, demanded blood and many victories were attributed to him. In 1325, people from the north, the Aztecs, came onto the scene and founded the city of Tenochtitlan in the Anahuac Valley. ![]() A little shaky in the tenth century, the arrival of the Toltecs, who brought iron and silversmithing, gave the Mayas force for two centuries. The Spaniards, unfortunately, during their conquest of the land in the 16th century, destroyed almost all of the codices. They developed mathematics and astronomy and even produced their own books, called codices. The clergy held the real power – Maya people believed their priests talked directly to the Gods. They also worshiped a feathered serpent called Kukulcan. The Maya, meanwhile, built hundreds of city states, the largest of which are Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Palenque, Bonampak and Tikal (now in Guatemala). Each left their own mark on Mexico – Mesoamerican built Teotihuacan and worshipped a feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl the Zapotecs left substantial remains at Monte Alban. Then came, in the first millennium, Mesoamericans (Mexico City area), the Zapotecs (Oaxaca) and Maya (southern Mexico). They worshiped the jaguar and left impressive sculpted heads. Mexico’s first great civilisation, the Olmecs, were born around 1200 BCE. December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.Family and friends of the deceased eat, drink and sing all night. A legendarily eerie yet festive Mexican event – sugar skulls, skeletons and miniature coffins are sold everywhere, there are processions to cemeteries where tombstones are beautifully decorated. 1 and 2 November: All Saints Day and Day of the Dead.15 and 16 September: National Independence Day.2nd half of July: Festival of Guelaguetza in Oaxaca.The Holy Thursday and Friday are holidays and this is the biggest party in Mexico. In late March-early April: Holy Week (Semana Santa).In Mexico City, the cry is made by the President of the Republic. This ceremony is called El Grito and celebrates the start of the uprising against Spain, initiated by the priest Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. At 11pm, in the central square of every city, the mayor shouts “Viva Mexico!” three times. National Holidayġ5 and 16 September: Independence Day. In 2002, Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego, who became the first Indigenous saint in the Catholic calendar. A chapel and a basilica were built there, which quickly became a major pilgrimage and is now the world's third most-visited sacred site. All the more striking is that it took place on Mount Tepeyac, where the Aztecs had built a temple to Tonatzin, the ‘mother of the gods’. This celebrates the apparition of the Virgin Mary to a young indigenous man, Juan Diego, shortly after the Spanish conquest. The strongest symbol of this fusion is the worship that many Mexicans devote to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Indigenous beliefs have not disappeared from the religious landscape and they are often incorporated into Catholic practices. Mexico also has 10% ‘traditional’ Protestants and 5% Jews. A small number of Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventists and Mormons do exist and grow in number every year. The absolute domination of Catholicism is declining gradually in Mexico, but it is still the religion of approximately 85% of Mexicans. Other minorities and white Europeans complete the ethnic picture. Mestizos account for around 60% of the total population, against around 20% of Amerindians - Mexican Native American - descent, who are divided into many communities each speaking their own language. Peopleįollowing the Spanish colonisation, contemporary Mexican society is divided between mestizos and indigenous populations. ![]() Mayan is spoken in Chiapas and Yucatan, while the Zapotec family of languages are predominant in Oaxaca and Veracruz. The main one is Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs, used in the country's centre. There are 68 officially recognised languages, 63 of which are indigenous. ![]() Many different languages are spoken in Mexico and most of the population are multilingual. ![]()
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