Mexico is a country with a culture that, like other places in the Americas, is a melting pot of ethnic groups with influences from the Aztec, Mayan and Inca civilizations as well as those imported by the Spanish and Portuguese.

The state of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the most interesting places in Mexico . Both its capital, Xalapa-Enriquez, and its most populous city with which it shares its name, are places where centuries-old traditions and customs are celebrated and carried out, where one can observe the immaterial wealth of the Mexican people.

Its colors, its dresses, the way it deals with a subject as dark for Europeans as death, in which bright colors cannot be missing, are some of the identity symbols of both the Veracruz region and the country where it is located.

Let’s see a sample of this fascinating culture through a review of the most important traditions of Veracruz .

10 traditions of the state of Veracruz

These are several traditions of Veracruz that characterize the cultural life of this state of Mexico.

1. Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe

This Veracruz celebration is held on December 12 and commemorates the apparition of the Virgin on the hill of Tepeyac .

During the festival a replica of the Virgin made of cardboard and decorated with flowers is carried. Different groups are in charge of carrying the figure to the church, accompanying it during the journey with songs and religious music. Even during the celebration, one of the most identifiable symbols of Mexico, the mariachis, can be seen singing to the Virgin.

2. Feast of All the Dead

It lasts several days. It is a moment in which one pays homage to the dead and spends more time with the family . The deceased are remembered, praying for them so that their souls may reach heaven or the world of the dead.

They build altars with offerings to those who are no longer there, placing skulls decorated in very striking ways, dead flowers and other decorations. The dead are also visited in the cemeteries.

The celebration of this festivity stands out for being very different from the way in which homage is paid to the dead in Europe. This is due to the influence of the Aztec culture in the region , given that the Aztecs celebrated deaths in a more festive and colourful way than in the old continent.

3. Dance of the Voladores de Papantla

This is a ceremony in which participants dance and try to climb a 30-meter high pole to jump from the highest end with the only safeguard being ropes to hang from it.

Five people take part, four of them jump and one stays on top dancing, playing the flute and the drum.

4. Peanut chicken

Gastronomy cannot be absent as an element of identity from every culture. The chicken in peanuts is a traditional dish of Veracruz, and basically consists of a chicken breast with sauce made of peanuts .

Nuts are a popular ingredient for Veracruz people to add a touch of creaminess to sauces.

5. Carnival in Veracruz

Carnival is an element that cannot be missing in every Latin American culture and Veracruz is a reference point in this celebration.

Known as the happiest Carnival in the world, the one celebrated in this state lasts about 9 days and has 6 big parades with more than 30 floats , in addition to multiple events such as concerts and social events. The mixture between the Mesoamerican, European and African is noticeable in the carnival of the region, where its people are dressed in colorful costumes dancing to rhythms with Afro-Cuban reminiscences. Although the Catholic Church, when it tried to evangelize the region, disapproved of this pagan festival, it did not prevent it from surviving to this day.

Today, the Veracruz Carnival begins with the “burning of the bad mood” and ends with the burial of “Juan Carnaval” .

With the passage of time it became a little more elaborate, with dances intended for more select groups, not to mention the most popular celebrations.

6. Spring Festival

Normally, it is held in places where there are vestiges of Totonac culture, which was characterized by being very advanced in terms of astronomy. The people dance in places like El Tajín, Papantla, to feed themselves with the energy of the rays of the spring sun .

This type of dance is also done in other parts of the state, such as Cempoala or Santiago de Tuxla.

7. Festivals of San Mateo de Naolinco

This festival is celebrated in the municipality of Naolinco, and homage is paid to Saint Matthew the Apostle. It begins on 19 September, although the most important day is 21 .

Before the 21st arrives, neighbors gather to share cookies, tamales, snacks, coffee and other typical foods of the region. In the morning of that day the procession begins . In addition, as a European import, the fights between Moors and Christians are represented as a commemoration of the conquest of the Iberian peoples against the Muslims.

8. Fiesta de la Candelaria

This is a fairly widespread celebration in the Mexican state, the origins of which are not entirely clear and are explained by two legends.

One of the legends says that this festival is based on the celebration of the Indians towards their goddess Chalchiuhtlicua , who was the deity of the waters, such as rivers, seas and lakes. It is said that with the arrival of the Spaniards, the indigenous pantheon was substituted by the Christian saints and virgins, being the Virgin of Candelaria who was in charge of supplanting the goddess of the waters, since this virgin is the protector of the fishermen.

The second legend maintains that the origin of this celebration is that this Virgin, of Andalusian origin, protected and cared for the sailors who lived on the island of Tlaxcotialapan.

Whatever it is that has made the people of Veracruz celebrate this festival, there is no doubt about the great influence of the Spanish on the ancestral Totonac culture.

9. The branch

La Rama is a Christmas tradition that takes place between December 16 and 24. It consists of processions in which the participants carry leafy branches or sticks decorated with paper lanterns and candles, as well as orange peels, coloured paper chains and religious figures. They walk through the streets stopping at each house to ask for some alms, in the form of sweets, money or some other kind of cooperation.

This tradition arises from the mixture of indigenous influences of the region, Afro-Cuban and Spanish . The ancient peoples who settled in what is now Veracruz celebrated a feast in December in which they carried a branch called a versuchil that represented the renewal of nature.

10. The Lost Child

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, when he was 12 years old, was lost in Jerusalem during the Passover holidays. He was searched for three days until he was found in the city’s Temple. This story was used by Fray Junípero de Serra in the eighteenth century when he went to evangelize the people of the Mexican region , becoming over time a very established tradition in Veracruz.

On December 7th at 7pm a whistle sounds announcing the start of the festival. The streets are left in darkness, with the only illumination being the candles that mark the way to the church. The light will serve to guide the child Jesus so that he can arrive safely at the temple .

Bibliographic references:

  • Debroise, O. (2005). Mexican Fugue. A tour of photography in Mexico. Gustavo Gili.
  • García de León, A. (2016). The sea of desires. FCE, Mexico.