WHAT ARE THE CULTURAL COMPONENTS OF CHIAPAS? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The main cultural components of Chiapas are music and gastronomy, and to a lesser extent its traditions and crafts.

Chiapas is a state with a very rich culture, with customs that have been maintained since the settlement of the first indigenous groups hundreds of years ago.

Its capital, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, is also a cultural center where elements such as gastronomy and crafts appear frequently thanks to parties, celebrations and carnivals.

In Chiapas there is a great ethnic diversity that accommodates many native dialects and variations in the language.

The main cultural components of Chiapas

Given the great ethnic diversity of the state, there is also a great cultural variety, perhaps the richest in all of Mexico.

One of the many celebrations in Chiapas is the Fiesta Grande, a festival dedicated to San Sebastián that, due to its richness and importance, has been a UNESCO cultural heritage since 2009.

Gastronomy

Chiapas cuisine has strong Spanish and European influences, added of course to the enormous Mesoamerican tradition present in Mexican gastronomy in general.

The tamale is considered the quintessential dish of Chiapas, where it is prepared in up to 23 different varieties.

Crafts

There is a strong presence of pottery and handmade jewelry. One element that stands out above the rest is amber, a semi-precious stone made of vegetable resin. 90% of the amber extracted in Mexico comes from Chiapas.

Customs and traditions

Festivities, parades and carnivals take place throughout the year in Chiapas, many of a religious nature celebrated in temples and churches.

Clothing is an expression that always accompanies other cultural manifestations, the typical dresses of Chiapas are usually very showy and colorful.

The most representative textile piece in the area is the Chiapas suit, a long and wide dress embroidered by hand and in very bright colors.

It is considered one of the most elegant and beautiful pieces of clothing in Mexican culture.

Ethnicity

Chiapas is the state with the greatest ethnic diversity. Up to 12 indigenous communities are currently living in the state, which has almost a million inhabitants belonging to some ethnic group, which represents 20% of the population.

Only 65% ​​of the total population of Chiapas speaks Spanish, the rest only speaks the indigenous language. Among these, the most practiced are the Tzotzil, the Tzetzal and the Chol.

The indigenous inhabitants have made important contributions to the culture of Chiapas in gastronomy, music and dance.

Religion

The ethnic and cultural diversity of Chiapas is also transferred to the religious plane, where there are 272 religious associations.

In Chiapas, 58% of the population is Catholic, compared to the national average of 80%. The remaining inhabitants are distributed among Evangelicals, Christian, Pentecostals and other religions.

Music

Much of the typical music of the region dates back centuries, when various pre-Hispanic groups devised songs to their deities.

Although this musical tradition has been maintained, now the themes are much more varied and comprehensive. The traditional and most representative genre of Chiapas is the marimba.

References

1. Chiapas culture (sf). Retrieved on December 3, 2017, from Exploring México.
2. Customs, festivals and traditions (Chiapas) (nd). Retrieved on December 3, 2017, from Unknown Mexico.
3. Chiapas: a tourist destination with natural wealth and cultural diversity (September 19, 2016). Retrieved on December 3, 2017, from Aristegui Noticias.
4. Chiapas (nd). Retrieved on December 3, 2017, from UNAM.
5. Chiapas culture (sf). Retrieved on December 3, 2017, from Turimexico.
6. Chiapas (nd). Retrieved on December 3, 2017, from Chiapas dance.