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El Gallo · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 318

What is the strangest custom you have encountered in Mexico? For me, the Chiapaneco custom of spitting water or tequila in the face of someone who has fallen or has had an accident is the strangest. Last Sunday in
"el campo" the frayed hammock I was sleeping in collapsed throwing me to the ground. When I got up an "amiga" spit a mouthful of tequila in my face. This is a common custom here when someone falls or has an accident. The same thing happened when I drove my little truck into an uncovered, unmarked Telmex trench full of water one dark rainy night. The whole family came to rescue me and took me to grandma's house where she spit water in my face. It is supposed to relieve shock. Needless to say, the shock of someone spitting tequila in my face and eyes (it burns) was far worse for me than the fall.

kosherpickle · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 93

i haven't spent tons of time there so the weirdest i can think of at the moment is the babies in the bread at christmas time.
mexican customs are so much more fun than yank customs.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

For those of you wondering what the previous poster was referring to, here is the explanation of King's Day, January 6th.

http://www.inside-mexico.com/reyesoscar.htm

About the original post, I can honestly say I have never heard or seen the "spit in the face" thing, so I'm guessing this is a very regional specific "ritual"? I think I'd be moving right along if I lived in a spitting zone. Embarassed

By the way, the real secret is keeping the hammock close to the earth so you don't have too far to fall, especially when tequila is involved. Wink

El Gallo · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 318

Clear the Air · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 21

Holding hands. Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, friends. It`s a custom that I find especially beautiful, but it is strange in the sense that no one in the states does it but for couples and holding the hand of a very young child. Here I see people holding hands as they walk through the plazas, and sons resting their hands on the shoulders of their mothers. When I went back to visit my family recently, I jokingly reached out to hold my younger sister`s hand. She said, �That`s really weird.�

El Gallo · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 318

Ah yes, and the hand on the shoulder or around the neck. I appreciate the Mexicans' lack of the Anglo homophobia when they give their fathers, uncles, sons, nephews, cousins or friends a friendly non-sexual touch of affection.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject:

There are lots of cures for susto not just the tequila!

I'm not sure if this counts but I had a wierd experience yesterday. Something that has never happened in all the time I've lived here. A band came to our sub-division. A saxaphone, a trumpet and two drummers and a firework launcher/door knocker. When I first heard the band in the distance I thought nothing of it, it must be a local saint's day. But as they came down our street I saw it was just the band, no procession or anything. A Wedding? A party? no, they were just playing in the streets and knocking on doors to for donations. Now in the center of town, we have strolling muscians, a trio with a guitar, an accordian and a stand-up bass, there are also a couple of marimbas, they circle the markets, the town-square, the larger restuarants. But I've never seen any of them out in the sticks in sleepy housing estates.

Most things I've gotten used to and I no longer think of as wierd.

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:38 pm Post subject:

When I went out and bought a new pair of shoes, they got noticed and a friend of mine and her whole family stomped on them. While I was wearing them! Needless to say I had to go get them shined. As I understood it, it was for good luck.

Let me see..... Oh yeah! On the bus one time, when it was very hot, I opened the window for some air. The very old lady in the seat in front of me turned around and slammed it shut. I opened it again and she shut it again. This went on about 3 or 4 times, and she said something which I couldn't understand. Finally I gave up. I was very happy to get off of that bus. I think that was a case of the wind or air makes a person sick myth.

Seeing people sweep and mop the sidewalks in front of their stores. It does absolutely no good as far as I can tell.

People going out of their way to be helpful with no apparent ulterior motive. Something which I would never expect from people in the US. By the way, I have had strangers, police, waiters, and people on the street go completely out of their way to be helpful. I almost never saw that in the states.

jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

Melee-- That happens fairly regularly in my neighborhood here in Morelia. I live close to la Plaza San Francisco though, so maybe they just decide to hit a few of the side streets while they are at it.

Cuisinette · Joined: 26 May 2007 Posts: 9

You all made me laugh so hard. I love this thread. Laughing

Even though I am originally from Romania, many of these Mexican customs are very familiar to me. I do not practice them; my husband would probably go nuts.

They spit you in the face if you are beautiful or handsome... this is to prevent them from taking away your charm.
The stomping on your brand new shoes� it is also practiced. Or they�ll pour water in your shoes, thinking they last longer.
As for the signs of affection... you won�t like it Razz

, because by any US standards it's very weird. I missed that.
A girl friend visited me in US and we were walking down the street hand in hand� we got a lot of glare.

Dragonlady · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:35 pm Post subject:

deleted

unrelated to TESOL

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

saraswati · Joined: 30 Mar 2004 Posts: 200

When my son was a baby he was constantly being handed over to strangers to be kissed on the head. At least in Southern Mexico, there's the belief that if you say something nice about someone else's baby, you should kiss the baby on the top of his/her head so as not to pass on the evil eye.

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

Well one I don't like is the custom of throwing garbage everywhere...oh... is that not a custom?? Sure seems like it ... Sad

I haven't seen anything really weird yet but I am going to try and stay away from the spitting places.

jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

This probably doesn't count as a strange custom, but can anyone explain Mexico's fascination with fireworks??

Down at the local church (San Francisco) this morning they shot off fireworks (the kind that look like giant bottle rockets but only make a loud explosion and smoke - they have a special name I don't remember) for an hour starting at 7 am. Now they are at it again. On the actual feast day for Saint Francis they shot them off about every 30 seconds from 7 am to 8 pm. I am not exaggerating. They have special firework holding stands for this kind of thing. I thought I was going to come unglued.