More than 113,000 people flooded through the gates of Xmatkuil Fair — the state fair — on Saturday, transforming the fairgrounds into a celebration of tradition, music, and nostalgia. The day started early with families wandering through livestock pavilions and artisan stalls. The smell of panuchos and marquesitas drifted through the air as children ran…
Legislative committees unanimously approved measures Sunday that would grant Intangible Cultural Heritage status to five major festivals and traditions, including Three Kings Day festivities in Tizimín and Our Lady of the Assumption in Mérida. The United Commission on Constitutional Points and Governance, and on Art and Culture backed the declaration after reviewing proposals from lawmakers…
The smell of banana leaves and achiote fills Yucatecan kitchens each fall as families prepare for Hanal Pixán, the region’s deeply rooted celebration honoring those who have passed. Unlike Day of the Dead festivities in other parts of Mexico, Yucatán’s version centers on a distinct collection of traditional foods that connect the living with departed…
Liam has overtaken Brian and Kevin as the fastest-growing foreign baby name in Yucatán, marking a new wave of international naming trends, which started in 2024. Jorge Carlos de María Ramírez Granados, director of Yucatán’s Civil Registry, says the shift represents the latest chapter in the state’s evolving naming patterns. While Brian and Kevin dominated…
Mérida’s beloved Festival de las Ánimas is getting a major makeover this year. Mérida officials announced exciting new features for the 2025 celebration, which runs October 25 through November 2 at venues throughout the Yucatecan capital. The festival celebrates Hanal Pixán, the region’s unique take on Mexico’s Day of the Dead traditions. Unlike celebrations elsewhere…
The artisan village of Dzityá will transform into a cultural hub from July 25 to Aug. 3 as it hosts the 24th edition of the Feria Artesanal Tunich. The fair runs for 10 days in the quiet community just 30 minutes north of Mérida, Yucatán. More than 150 artisans from Yucatán and beyond will showcase…
Mérida’s weekly celebration of its cultural heritage continued Monday night as the city marked 43 uninterrupted years of the traditional Vaquería Yucateca in frontof the Municipal Palace. The folkloric ballet performed to classic jaranas including “La fiesta del pueblo,” “Aires Yucatecos,” and “Chinito Koy Koy.” The Vaquería tradition dates back to colonial times, when Spanish…
A UADY professor calls the traditional Maya house “a perfect creation of its kind.” Sadly, this time-worn building technique faces multiple challenges.
A vibrant community of Afro-descendant expats celebrates emancipation in the U.S., but Juneteenth means more than that.
After three years of struggling with battery issues and tourist resistance, Mérida’s electric carriages find a new purpose at city zoos.
A plan to restrict horse-drawn carriage rides on the Paseo de Montejo was announced by the Mérida City Council and the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY). The primary change restricts carriage operations in the Centro Histórico before 4 p.m., targeting spring and summer’s hottest hours. The measure addresses heat exposure concerns while keeping a favorite…
Volkswagen dealerships across Mexico are preparing to celebrate Vocho Fest 2025 on June 22, marking World Beetle Day with a nationwide tribute to one of the country’s most iconic automobiles. The automotive company’s official portal announced that this national celebration honors the vehicle that has shaped generations since its mass production began in Germany in…
The Lacandon Maya (meaning “true people” in their language) are an Indigenous group living in the Lacandon Jungle
Manufacturers and sellers of hammocks are in a struggle to stay in business, threatening the future of an iconic symbol of Yucatecan living.
In her recent newsletter, Amy Jones, a native Texan now living in Yucatán, draws a powerful parallel between Texan pride and “Yucateco” identity. Her perspective offers insight into the current friction between locals and swaggering foreigners in Mérida — and she doesn’t mention politics or tariffs. “If you are in the U.S., you are probably…
Beekeepers in Valladolid are turning to direct sales at weekend markets as they face a double challenge: low Yucatán honey production from this season’s Tajonal flowering and some of the lowest bulk prices in recent memory. With wholesale prices stagnating at 27-28 pesos per kilogram, producers are discovering that bottling and selling their honey directly…
As the sun sets over Lago Muelle Sur at Parque La Plancha, an unusual wedding procession makes its way down the small dock. The bride and groom, adorned in Tyrannosaurus Rex costumes, waddle arm-in-arm to the strains of the Wedding March. You can tell which one is the bride because she has a tiny veil…
Yucatán Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena inaugurated the Tizimín Expo Fair 2025 (or the Feria de Reyes), one of southeastern Mexico’s most emblematic celebrations combining livestock, commercial, and cultural traditions. Running until Jan. 19, the fair features an extensive program of religious, cultural, and recreational activities alongside its traditional livestock exhibition. During the opening ceremony at…
Far south of the city in Xmatkuil, Yucatán’s state fair will wrap up its 2024 edition on Sunday. The fairgrounds have everything you would expect from a state fair: food, snacks, livestock exhibits, concerts, and plenty of rides. Despite its popularity among locals, the fair is poorly attended by Yucatán’s expat community. It’s hard to…
Gossip is the fuel that powers Mérida’s reputation for safety. At least, that’s the theory posited by a top security official from a city dealing with violence and drugs. Not everyone is thrilled with that analysis. Raúl Tassinari González, Secretary of Public Security at Playa del Carmen, said in an interview that “there is less crime…
Magaly del Roció Pech Chuc learned the secrets of Maya food from her mother, Justina Chuc Can, a cook in the community of Xpichil, where the pair run a restaurant. But Magaly laments the difficulty in finding ingredients such as ibes, a type of bean grown in milpas, or corn fields. “There are ingredients that…
In much of the world, there exists a misconception that May 5th is some sort of huge holiday in Mexico.
A campaign to replace the ubiquitous plastic bag starts and ends with the iconic sabucán.
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