- The 3 main cultural manifestations in Campeche
- 1- Gastronomy
- 2- Crafts
- 3- Festivities, dances and traditional music
- References
The culture of Campeche is essentially manifested through three aspects: its gastronomy, its crafts and its traditional dances and music. Campeche is a state rich in nuances.
This is due to the historical Mayan and Hispanic influence. The confluence of both cultural legacies provokes that diversity that enriches and fills with vitality the cultural manifestations in the state.
Another important cultural manifestation in Campeche are the Mayan archaeological ruins. These help to understand and visualize the indigenous past of the state in pre-Hispanic times.
Together with its gastronomy and its festivals, it constitutes the most vivid legacy of the folksy past.
You may also be interested in the traditions and customs of Campeche or its traditional games.
The 3 main cultural manifestations in Campeche
The gastronomy of Campeche, the typical crafts of the state and the popular festivities are the main cultural signs of the region.
In all these manifestations there are reflections of the Mayan past of the state. Therefore, the culture of Campeche is one of the most deeply rooted and traditional in Mexico.
1- Gastronomy
Campeche is the cradle of some of the most famous dishes in Mexico. Its current gastronomy emerges as a fusion between the autochthonous (Mayan heritage) and the Hispanic. To the traditional products and techniques were added the contributions of the colonial era.
Its coastal status means that in Campeche the consumption of seafood has always been high.
Shrimp is one of the main elements of its gastronomy. Among the most typical dishes are others that are also typical in the rest of the country: tamales, tacos and empanadas.
As for meats, some that the Mayans hunted and roasted in their time are still consumed: venison, wild boar, turkey and pork.
2- Crafts
In Campeche you can find multiple examples of handicrafts. For example, the baskets woven in huano are very famous, a material that can only be obtained in the south of the country. They are painted with natural ink and drawings of great beauty are captured in these.
In the Campeche town of Becal, the typical Panama-type hats, known worldwide, are also made.
In addition, the Tepakán pitchers are famous, whose colors evoke the Mayan blue of ancient times.
3- Festivities, dances and traditional music
One of the biggest festivities in the state of Campeche is celebrated on June 24: San Juan. In addition, on September 14 the feast of San Román is celebrated in the capital, San Francisco de Campeche.
They are the two largest celebrations in the state capital, although they are not the only festivities noted in the region.
On July 16 in Ciudad del Carmen the festival of Carmen is celebrated, and the carnivals of some towns such as Campeche, Ciudad del Carmen, Hecelchakán or Calkiní are famous.
The most traditional dance in Campeche is the jarana. It is a couple's dance that consists of a tapping without any predetermined steps to follow.
It is easy to find other lesser known dances or variants of the jarana with improvised steps.
The imagination of the dancers enriches the ensemble and gives rise to new forms and registers.
References
- Popular traditions, Campeche, in Unknown Mexico, unknown mexico.com.mx
- Culture in Campeche, in Turimexico.com, turimexico.com
- "Campeche: society, economy, politics, culture". Claudio Vadillo López. National Autonomous University of Mexico. (2000).
- The artisan paradise, in Mexico Travel Club, mexicotravelclub.com/artesanias-campeche.
- "Campeche: a brief history". Fausta Gantús Inurreta, Carlos Alcalá Ferráez and Laura Villanueva. Fund of Economic Culture. (2010).