Alfeñique sugar sculptures are a tradition that mixes European and indigenous culture to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
Stories by Leigh Thelmadatter
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Starting a small business in Mexico: what online sites don’t tell you
Mexican commercial enterprise has real bureaucratic and interpersonal challenges, but many expat entrepreneurs also see advantages.
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Creating guided art tours in a Puebla town is a ‘learn as you go’ experience
The writer explores tours of recycled mosaic installations, coupled with a workshop to learn how they are made.
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More than 50 years later, Mexicans refuse to forget the Tlatelolco Massacre
For foreigners living here, October 2 is just another day, but for citizens, especially in Mexico City, it is a highly emotional anniversary.
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A reverse snowbird enjoys a life of Baja heat and Canadian ice
When I think of Canadians traveling seasonally to Mexico, I think of well-off people looking for comfortable temperatures year-round, but FULL STORY
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Is Santa Clara del Cobre the only place to get copper crafts in Mexico?
Yes and no. But if you own any Mexican copperware, there’s a good chance it came from this Michoacán town that’s been doing it for centuries.
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Apples are Mexico’s hidden fruit — except at Christmastime
Though many do not associate apple orchards with Mexico, the country has thousands of growers and hard cider is a beloved winter tradition.
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Mexico’s War of Independence 101: a quick overview for newbie expats
If you’ve ever wondered why Mexicans start celebrating the September 16 holiday the night before, then this is the guide for you.
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Delivery services’ rise is teaching Mexicans to love motorbikes
The nation’s statistics agency Inegi says that motorcycle use in Mexico is growing steadily, with 10%–20% growth in registered users per year.
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A quixotic dream to grow pitahaya in the desert bears promising fruit
The Hoveys’ surprising success in growing the crop on their San Carlos ranch could offer Sonora growers a less water-needy option than citrus.
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Ancient art draws modern Japanese sculptors to Mexico
Lured by muralism and Olmec stonework, Kiyoshi Takahashi, Hiroyuki Okumura and Ryuichi Yahagi made Veracruz their adopted home.
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Use of natural dyes hangs on by a thread in Mexico
The skill of making these colors for textiles is disappearing in Mexico, but folks like Juana Gutiérrez and Marta Turok aim to preserve it.
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The miners who brought British culture to Mexico
From architecture to gastronomy to sports, British miners left their mark in Pachuca and Real del Monte, Hidalgo.
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In this Puebla town, intricate mosaics entice visitors to explore
In Zacatlán, community tile art lures tourists to venture beyond the town’s historic center, reviving neighborhoods and stimulating commerce.
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Expats facing the challenges of rural living turn to ‘La Gringa de La Yacata’
A decade of off-the-grid existence in small-town Guanajuato has made American Camille Torok a mentor to others adapting to the lifestyle.
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Five icons of Mexican popular culture you should know
El Santo, Cantinflas, El Chavo del Ocho, Vicente Fernandez, and La India María are just a few of Mexico’s notable cultural figures.
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This Mexican Independence Day, don’t forget pomegranates and walnuts
Chiles en nogada, a colorful, patriotic dish featuring late summer produce, dates back to the 19th century.
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Mexico’s avocado boom benefits rural farmers — but also organized crime
The phenomenal success of this fruit as an export is breaking decades of uneasy detente between growers and narcos in states like Michoacán.
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Unique microlender not only funds startups, it gets them to the next level
The microfinance organization En Vía is helping female entrepreneurs in Oaxaca not only open businesses but succeed at them and grow.
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Mexico’s firefly tourism trend could end up a victim of its own popularity
Firefly tourism, a recent phenomenon in Mexico, is growing rapidly, which concerns both conservationists and those who live off giving tours.
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Artisan dolls based on legendary Maya elves help Cancun’s vulnerable
In ancient lore, elf-like aluxes helped Yucatán farmers thrive. Today, dolls in the creatures’ image are giving seniors and single moms jobs.
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Mexico’s coronavirus toll also includes abandoned cats and dogs
Mexico’s unseen pandemic victims are the countless pets whose owners died from Covid or who gave them up because they couldn’t afford them.
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After disastrous year, Oaxaca’s budding wedding industry starts to rebound
The paralysis of the destination nuptials industry in 2020 devastated what was a growing number of businesses statewide.
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California’s sparse Franciscan missions had a colorful start in Querétaro
Friar Junípero Serra is more known for building spartan Catholic missions up north, but first he built more Baroque ones in central Mexico.
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Do Mexicans accept death better than other cultures?
Day of the Dead beliefs diffuse the grieving process for those left behind more than in some societies, but it still is a painful loss.
