There is a neighborhood in the south of Mérida where the smell of fried pork has drawn people for more than 70 years. Xcalachén — now officially one of the city’s three Barrios Mágicos — built its identity around a single dish: chicharra, a Yucatecan specialty that bears only a passing resemblance to the chicharrón…
Did the Pandemic kill Mérida’s famous giant-rosca tradition? For nearly a quarter century, Mérida’s hotel zone transformed into a massive bakery each January as rival establishments joined forces to create the Southeast’s largest rosca de reyes. But that beloved tradition appears headed for the history books. The 2.4-kilometer cake hasn’t been served since January 2020…
Despite being a town of roughly a thousand people, Chunchucmil is bursting with energy. Motorbikes and bicycles tear through the town’s few streets, even early on a Sunday morning, while locals do their best to beat each other to some cochinita pibil for breakfast. But what really sets Chunchucmil apart from most other small towns…
Every December 28, Mexico celebrates Día de los Santos Inocentes—a tradition that transforms the country into a playground of deception. While the holiday technically commemorates the biblical massacre of innocents ordered by King Herod, modern celebrations have evolved into Mexico’s equivalent of April Fools’ Day, where pranks, hoaxes, and elaborate fabrications are not just accepted…
The painted wooden bus rattles to life in Parque de Santa Lucía, its engine rumbling as passengers settle onto worn bench seats. Through open windows, warm air carries the scent of laurel trees and the distant sound of church bells. This is La Guagua (pronounced WAH-wah), and it moves through Mérida like a time capsule…
Yes, you can hyphenate your baby’s last name in Yucatán. Strangely enough, that would have been illegal a week ago. In most of Mexico, parents have been allowed to combine their surnames when naming their children. But until last week, for whatever reason, Yucatán was different. The state had strict rules about hyphenated names, but…
As the holiday season gets underway in Mérida, a signature city program is hitting the road with a clear mission. The Municipal Christmas Caravan, an annual tradition, is placing special emphasis on reaching out to the city’s outlying communities. Under the direction of Arturo León Itzá, head of Social Development and Poverty Alleviation, the caravan…
The annual Christmas walk along the Progreso pier returns for 2025, with registration now open for the event on December 7. This year’s walk comes with a catch: only 6,000 spots are available, and they’re filling fast. The National Port System Administration, known as Asipona, opened registration Thursday evening for what’s officially called the Atardecer…
Thousands marched through the Centro Histórico on Wednesday as Yucatán marked the 115th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. The annual Revolution Day parade brought over 5,000 participants to Mérida’s streets for a two-hour and 10-minute spectacle that showcased the discipline of security forces alongside the energy of school contingents. Marchers wound their way from the…
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…
That’s all for now
That’s all for now