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Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
When we talk of exploring Yucatan, Merida is the starting point
to get to know all the routes of the Mayan world. For 500 years
Merida forged its vocation of great metropolis and departure point
for the exploration of Yucatan. Founded on the Mayan city of Tho,
after being colonized during the conquest it became the city of
the Spanish government.
Currently, with its museums, parks, markets and outdoors cafés,
Merida is a fascinating and cosmopolitan place, with its more than
900.000 inhabitants, mostly descendants of the Spanish and the Mayas.
Throughout Paseo and Prolongación Montejo one can find restaurants,
hotels, bars, cafés, banks and businesses, with all the services
to give the visitor a pleasant stay.
Merida’s anniversary arts festival
The night of the 5 of January, like every year with the traditional
alborada (dawn), Merida awakes to the voice of hundreds of troubadours
that sing to the city in the eve of its anniversary. From that day
more than 170 events will take place on days of intense cultural
activity that will adorn the celebrations of the anniversary of
the foundation of Merida, Yucatan. The Festival of the City rescues
and shares its customs and traditions with its visitors through
dance, music, theater, visual arts and literature spectacles.
Merida carnival
Popular celebration, during the first weeks of February, it summons
its citizens to the streets to enjoy the Paseo de Carnival: these
celebrations to the God Momo, usually take place before lent. During
five consecutive days the hustle and bustle reigns, as well as the
joy and the participation of the community amusing itself with musical
groups, parades and events throughout Paseo de Montejo.
Cultural autumn
The Institute of Culture of Yucatan (ICY) programs an events season
named Cultural Autumn, beginning in October. The shows take place
in different stages like the Culture House, the beautiful José
Peón Contreras theater, the Daniel Ayala Pérez theater
and other important places, with plays, dance and plastic arts.
A cultural interchange also takes place with the Cervantino Festival
from Guanajuato.
Hanal Pixán (Day of dead)
In Mayan it means “food for the souls”. This tradition
goes back to antiquity to venerate the memory of relatives who have
passed away. In towns of the interior of the state novenas take
place, as well as prayers, offerings, and during the 1st and 2nd
of November a visit to the cemetery is obligatory to pray for your
loved ones; these dates are dedicated to spending time with the
souls in their annual passing through by the earthly plane, when
they “receive permission” to visit their relatives.
The delicious mucbilpollos or pibes -a big tamal made of corn flour,
stuffed with chicken and pork meat- are also made.
Yucatan fair
During 15 days different exhibitions are presented of pedigree cattle
and artisan craft, industrial, tourist and commercial samples, where
the best of the production of the state is displayed. It takes place
in November and there are equestrian competitions, charreadas, sport
activities, cultural events and the roosters palenque, where artistic
shows are given with figures of national and international reputation.
Mérida on Sunday
Every Sunday of the year there are outdoor shows in different places
in the city center. Worth noting are the traditional vaquería,
custom born in the old haciendas of the state, where the women took
care of the guests and their wives and in the end danced to Mayan
sones combined with Spanish music, in honor of the landlord or owner
of the hacienda. In this cultural event stands are placed with crafts
and traditional yucatecan clothes, like the yucatecan huipiles,
guayaberas, yucatecan antojitos (traditional Mexican snacks), etc.
Yucatecan music
The geographic position of Yucatan, the ethnic composition of its
inhabitants and its cultural links with the main European centers
enabled the blossoming of a people of great artistic vocation, especially
for music and poetry.
In the dawn of the XX century Ricardo Palmerin (Peregrina), Guty
Cárdenas (Caminante del Mayab) and Pepe Dominguez (Granito
de Sal) arose, who by giving music to the verses of some writings
gave to life to the golden age of the yucatecan song. Without a
doubt, Yucatan is an inexhaustible quarry of great composers and
poets.
Cultural Mérida
Merida lives a great cultural celebration every day of the year.
The thousands of visitors from all over the world become spectators
of its intense daily reality. Thus, any day you visit the city,
a show will be waiting for you in the Historic City Center.
Weather
The weather of Merida and the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula is warm
and humid. There is a long rainy season from May to January, although
rains during the dry months (February, March and April) are not
unheard of. The warmest months are April and May, when temperature
reaches 40°C (104°F).
According to meteorologists, Merida’s weather falls in the
“Awo” category (warm, sub-humid, with summer rains).
Average temperature is 26.61°C (80°F).
The predominant winds blow from the southeast (known in Maya as
"lahunlakin ik"), the northeast ("xamanxikin ik")
and the north ("xaman ik"). Mild tropical storms occur
sporadically between August and October. Between September and January,
winds blowing from the north bring about cool and overcast spells
which last several days. Between these relieving periods, “kin”,
the sun, shines over Merida almost as intensely as during the summer.
Language
In Merida, the capital of the State of Yucatan, the prevailing language
is Spanish. However, Yucatec Maya is still spoken in neighboring
rural communities
Gastronomy
Traditional Yucatecan cookery derived from the mixing of Spanish
and Maya cultures. It is precisely the combination of recipes and
ingredients from those two culinary traditions that has resulted
in the characteristic flavors of our cuisine.
Indeed, Yucatecan food is renowned throughout Mexico for its strong
condiments and the predominant use of corn. For instance, dishes
like lime soup, papadzules and Motul-style eggs are all made with
fried corn tortillas, and panuchos and dzotolbichay are made with
corn dough.
Another common ingredient in some of the most exquisite traditional
Yucatecan dishes is turkey.
Merida boasts a large number of restaurants where you will be able
to find any kind of food, from the most basic and inexpensive to
the most sophisticated fine dining. The city’s choice of international
gourmet cuisine is ever growing.
Traditions
In Spanish, the term “jarana” means “racket”
or “noisy party”. However, throughout Mexico, “jarana”
refers to the main dance of Yucatecan popular celebrations.
A true manifestation of the mixing of artistic traditions, the jarana
both attracts and enraptures, possibly as a result of the elegant
cadence of its steps or the solemn stance of dancers as they tap
their feet.
The resounding music is usually played by a typical jarana orchestra,
consisting of two clarinets, two trumpets, two trombones, a “güiro”
(a dry gourd with numerous slits, stricken with a thin stick to
make a scratchy sound) and a set of timbales (tropical music kettledrums).
Jarana music derived from old regional rhythms known as “sones”,
but it is also a combination of European rhythms and ancient musical
expressions of the Maya people.
Strictly speaking, no special attire is needed to dance a jarana.
However, female dancers usually wear a typical Yucatecan “hipil”
or, even better, a “terno de gala” (the full dress version
of an “hipil”), white high-heeled shoes and a Santa
Maria shawl.
The traditional men’s attire consists of white drill pants,
a white silk or linen loose-fitting shirt (known as “guayabera”),
a Panama hat, a red scarf hanging from one of the pockets, and Yucatecan
leather sandals (known as “alpargatas”). Traditional
Yucatecan attire is known as “traje de mestizo/mestiza”.
There are many free traditional dance shows through the year; however,
you should try and go to a true “vaqueria”, the traditional
festivals in which villages honor their Patron Saint. Though dances
in these festivals may be less spectacular, they certainly make
for a more authentic experience.
Geographic location
Mérida is located less than 50 km from the Gulf of México,
on the northeast part of the State of Yucatán, which occupies
the northernmost third of the Yucatan Peninsula. The city´s
coordinates are 20° 58' 04 " N, 89° 37' 18" W.
Yucatán borders are with the state of Quintana Roo to the
east, the State of Campeche to the west, and the Gulf of México
to the north. Yucatán has a very flat landscape and most
of the State is slightly above sea level
Geographic location
Mérida is located less than 50 km from the Gulf of México,
on the northeast part of the State of Yucatán, which occupies
the northernmost third of the Yucatan Peninsula. The city´s
coordinates are 20° 58' 04 " N, 89° 37' 18" W.
Yucatán borders are with the state of Quintana Roo to the
east, the State of Campeche to the west, and the Gulf of México
to the north. Yucatán has a very flat landscape and most
of the State is slightly above sea level
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