WARM UP Get out your journals and make and fill out the following table on the top of your page

1. WARM UPGet out your journals and make and fill out the following table on the top of your page What I LEARNED about Mexico’s Culture TODAY

2. Mexican Culture Today

3. Today’s Objective To recognize that Mexico’s culture is a blend of many traditions. Recognize the pros and cons of living in an urban or rural area of Mexico Understand the significance of holidays in Mexico

4. A Blend of Cultures… • Mexico is a mix of traditions from 3 cultures • Native American • Spanish • Modern

5. Plaza of Three Cultures Modern Spanish Aztec

6. Urban Mexico • Roughly 1/6 of all of Mexico’s population resides in Mexico City, Mexico’s Capitol • Mexico City = 19.319 million people • 10th largest city in the world • Compared with : • New York 20.464 million people • DFW 5.874 million people

7. Mexico’s City of Culture • Mexico City is home to the Palace of Fine Arts Home to the National Opera, Theater, and Symphony The Palace is also home to the famous Ballet Folklorico, a group that performs dances based on Mexican traditions

8. Smog in the City • Streets are jam-packed with traffic • Car exhaust blankets the city with smog • Major gap between the rich and poor

9. Rural Mexico • Most people speak Spanish but many also speak Native American languages • At the center of each village is a plaza, where people meet and visit with neighbors • Each village sets aside a market day each week where people gather in the village plaza to buy/sell/trade food, clothing, and other goods

10. Poverty in the Countryside • Poverty is one of the biggest issues in the countryside • Many homes have only one room, and the floor is bare dirt • Many homes lack electricity and running water • Lack of education opportunities

11. Religion in Mexico • Roman Catholicism dominates Mexico today as it has for centuries. • Protestant Christianity is the next largest religious group due to the influence of Pentecostal Christianity in particular. • Roman Catholic 76.5% • Protestant 5.2% • Other or Unspecified 13.8% • Unaffiliated 3.1% • Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.1%

12. Important Holidays • September 16th- “Grito de Dolores” • Mexicans reenact Father Hidalgo’s call in 1810 to rise up against Spanish rule • Similar to USA’s July 4thwith fireworks, dancing, music, and parties in neighborhoods

13. Dia de los Muertos • The Day of the Dead: a time set aside (Nov. 2) to honor and celebrate loved ones who have died. • Celebrate by decorating graves with candles and flowers • Relatives gather for meals at the cemeteries

14. In Your Groups • Make a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Dia de los Muertoswith a major AMERICAN (USA) holiday Dia De los Muertos USA Holiday Difference Difference Similarities