Differences between English and Mexican culture.

When we talk about culture we are always talking about a singular way of living, a singular way of being part of a nation and a singular way of thinking. Mexico and England have a lot of differences beside the language or the weather. They both are countries with their own history and identity. Because of that, we have the opportunity to learn about the celebrations that each country have along the year. We began with this journey since January. We made a comparison between those special dates and this is the result. Lets start with the list of celebrations: January and February. In January there is the celebration of the New Year. Both, Mexico and England have special celebrations for that day. People celebrate New Year with a dinner or a meal in family. Others have the chance to go to eat out. In each country, there are a lot of religious celebrations. In England they dont celebrate Da de reyes. Here in Mexico is an ancient tradition to prepare a cake and share it with relatives and hide a boy-shaped figure to decide who is going to prepare tamales on February 2nd , when we celebrate the Jesus presentation at the temple. Also in that day children receive toys and candies. Other celebrations that English people have in January and Mexican people dont are two days known as Twelfht night and Plough Monday. Twelfth night is t he evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day of the Christmas festivities and observed as a time of merrymaking. In the other hand, plough Monday is the first Monday after Twelfth Night is Plough Monday, a day when ploughmen traditionally blackened their faces and marked the end of the Christmas period for the agricultural communities.

In February both countries celebrate Valentines day. Its a time when you celebrate friendship and love. In both countries, people can exchange presents as candies, chocolates, teddy bears etc. Its a special day for everyone. Also, in those months, the Easter special days take place. We have Candle Mass that is a special mass where you take your candles to bless them, all the candles that you are going to use along the whole year. We dont have that celebration in Mexico, but we have Ash Wednesday to start with the Easter time. English people also have that celebration. March and April. In Mexico we dont have a lot of celebrations in March. We only have the tradition of celebrate the start of the spring making parades. Children prepare festivals in their schools they wear costumes related with spring like, animals, plants etc. We also, celebrate the Benito Juarez birth as he was one of the most important presidents of our history. We have a day off in March 21st. In England they celebrate Mothering Sunday that is a time when children pay respect to their Mothers. Children often give their Mothers a gift and a card. This is a big difference because we celebrate mothers day on May 10th. In march there are two big religious celebrations in the UK: St Davids day and St Patricks day. St David's Day is celebrated in Wales on 1 March, in honour of St David (Dewi Sant), the patron saint of Wales. On St David's Day, some children in Wales dress in their national costume, which consists of a tall black hat, white frilled cap and long dress. St Patricks day is celebrated in Northern Ireland on 17 March. In that day Irish people wear green and shamrocks in almost everything. Also there are a lot of crazy and long parades and you can drink green beer all day long. In April, in Mexico we only celebrate childrens day. We make presents for children and they have a festival in their schools. In England April begins with a day full of fun and jokes April Fools day. In this day everyone makes you a lot of jokes and you have to be prepared for everything.

May and June In Mexico we have a lot of days off its mainly because we have celebrations along may that are very important for us. In May 1st we celebrate labor day with a parade where all the factories take part. The workers wear a uniform that makes them different from the workers of other factory. We have a day off, of course. We celebrate mothers day on May 10 with presents, flowers and festivals everywhere for our mothers. That day is completely dedicated for them. We eat and dance and have a great time with our families. We also celebrate teachers day just to honor the work they make with us at school. In elementary schools they have festivals and some children give presents for their teachers. But all of us, even university students have a day off to celebrate teachers. In the other hand in England, they have something known as May day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. It is said to be a time of love and romance. It is when people celebrate the coming of summer with lots of different customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. In May and June, English people have a custom known as Well dressing that is the art of decorating wells, springs or other water sources with pictures made of growing things. The wells are dressed with large framed panels decorated with elaborate mosaic-like pictures made of flower petals, seeds, grasses, leaves, tree bark, berries and moss. In June, we celebrate fathers day in Mexico. It takes place the second Sunday of June. This is a time when you spend a day with your father, families prepare barbecues and give presents for the father they love. In England, they have a special celebration too. The official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is marked each year by a military parade and march-past, known as Trooping the Colour (Carrying of the Flag). The official name is the Queens Birthday Parade.