How important is the family for the Mexicans? What are some of their traditions that keep them so closely knit with each other? Take a look as we observe the Mexican Family traditions to find out the answers to these questions.
Unlike the West where the word family has- to a great extent- lost its meaning Mexico has family as the essence of Mexican life. If anything it is families that are the building blocks of the Mexican society. Even with all the modernization we find the families in Mexico to be quite closely knit together with further extensions of the family being quite normal. In fact some areas will have three generations or even more living as members of the same household. This is something many Americans cannot even dream of in today’s world. Mexicans are also known to be cautious about keeping ties even with extended members of the family.
There is no denying the fact that Nuclear families also exist in Mexico. But when its family reunion time you will see all the different generations coming together to build up on family ties. The fact that Mexicans attach great importance to family ties can be seen with the regularity of their get-togethers.
Ground Rules of Mexican Family Life
The Mexican family life is guided by their good old golden rules. These include assigning gender based roles to the different members of the family. The man is to be the maintainer and protector of his woman and family whereas the home is the woman’s domain. The girls of the family are also kept under strict control until the time they get married. Admittedly, with the proliferation of modern pop culture this is becoming less frequent, especially in urban environments. Men have the traits of Machismo having pride and confidence in themselves and their families. The real essence of the Mexican family lifestyle comes into foreplay in the many events that they hold.
When you consider the long list of important festivals that they have all around the year you get an idea of how frequently they get together as family. The Mexican people are quite religious and they have important religious events the whole year round on which the families get together to celebrate. Amongst the important dates for the Mexican families are the 12th of December which is known as the Nuestra senora de Guadalupe. The 24th and 25th of December are important dates according to the Christian traditions. The Mexican Independence Day which happens to be the 16th of September is also an important day of family celebrations. Other Mexican holidays include the La Batalla de Puebla and La Noche de los Reyes Magos. All these events are times when families get together as a unit and hope to strengthen their ties.
In this fast paced life the Mexicans seem to have a very relaxed attitude when it comes to getting things done. The society is held up with the bonds of the family, religion and tradition. One more thing that sets the Mexicans apart is their spirit of hospitality. Whether you happen to be going to Mexico for medical purposes or a business trip you will find the average Mexican on the streets to be as welcoming as your family would be to you. This is also a clear reflection of the strong values that the closely knit family life has instilled in the Mexican people. They seem to treat others with love, respect and dignity.
