In the spirit of the Fifa World Cup, All Bags will be running a blog series, where we will putting the spotlight on our favourite country of the week, providing you with fun facts about their traditional, food, clothing, culture and their World Cup history.
This week’s pick is Mexico! It's humorous but admittedly a little condescending that majority of our knowledge surrounding Mexico, usually involves Tacos, Tequila and Sombreros. There’s so much more to this vibrant nation and breathtakingly beautiful country. By the end of this article, we’ll all have learnt something new:
Geographically, Mexico is situated between the U.S.A and Central America. Mexico is well-known for its various terrains, including crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches, jaw-dropping architecture in the bustling cities, mountainous landscapes as well as lush forestry and unforgivingly hot deserts. Parts of the country seem to remain in a time capsule, captivated by old traditions and ancestry, as well as boasting beautiful ancient architecture, quaint towns and markets. The rest of the country has embraced the tourism and adapted their way of living to cater to travellers and holiday-makers, with up-scale retail outlets, museums, 5-star hospitality and beach-front hotels. Something for everyone!
Mexico is actually, formally known as the United Mexican States, and is also the 14th largest country in the world, by land area. There are 31 states in Mexico, as well as one federal district, known as Mexico City, which is also the Capital City of Mexico. The most popular sport in the country is soccer, and the Soccer World Cup was hosted in Mexico in 1970 and 1986. A little known fact, is that Mexico has qualified to be a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In this year's 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mexico has won their games against Germany and South Korea and are set to play Sweden next.
Since we are first and foremost, a fashion blog, we should explore the world of Mexican fashion. Mexican’s are known for being exotic, colourful and rich in culture and tradition. All of these aspects are well-depicted in their clothing and textiles. Layers of colours, prints and textures are traditionally worn on a daily basis. In my opinion, there’s something so captivating in the courageousness of traditional Mexican attire. Like other nations and cultures, the Mexicans have adapted to modern customs and fashion trends, but their traditional wear is still worn at events and celebrations and in some cases, on a daily basis.
'The Day of the Dead' festival is the perfect example of a traditional celebration which has been adapted to modern society. The root of the celebration still remains the same, as Mexican’s dedicate this day to celebrating and remembering diseased loved ones and ancestors. This day is filled with extravagant costumes, face-painting, parades and moving structures. The attire of this day is often adapted to other celebrations and events around the world and has become a signature Mexican theme.
Mexico is so much more than Mexican food and alcohol. This is a country, proud of their traditions and a nation of people that find beauty in everything, even in death. A diverse nation that exerts pride and team spirit for their boys on the FIFA pitch! We wish Mexico the best of luck in their upcoming games in the 2018 FIFA World cup!
Mexico!