NUEVO LEÓN CULTURE: MOST RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The culture of Nuevo León is a mixture of cultures among which the aboriginal, the Spanish and the American stand out. From the aborigines they take traditions such as the Day of the Dead, which was a celebration in honor of the goddess of death.

From the Spanish they take religious beliefs. This is observed in Catholic festivals, such as Holy Week, the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the day of the Virgin of Candelaria, the Christmas holidays, among others.

Finally, the influence of the United States is observed in gastronomy with the use of processed and wheat-based products.

The state of Nuevo León is famous for its fairs, which are held for various reasons. Some of these fairs are the apple, walnut, crushing and agricultural fair.

You may also be interested in the traditions of Nuevo León or its main economic activities.

The 5 most outstanding cultural elements of Nuevo León

1- Gastronomy

Nuevo León is a state in which agriculture is practiced extensively, which is why gastronomy is characterized by the use of meat and dairy products.

In addition, the proximity to the United States means that processed food and wheat flour are used instead of traditional corn flour.

The traditional drink of Nuevo León is mezcal, which has a certain alcoholic strength.

Among the typical dishes of Nuevo León the following stand out:

Machaca with egg

It is prepared with salted dehydrated meat. The pieces of meat are lightly toasted and then placed in water to remove excess salt. Later it is crushed and fried.

A sauce is made with tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, and oregano. This is added to the fried meat and left to cook for five minutes, after which an egg is added.

The machaca is served with wheat and grain tortillas.

Kid

It can be prepared in different ways: roasted, in its blood, in slices of meat, among others.

Pork roast

The pork meat is marinated and stuffed with pieces of pineapple, apple and banana, olives, onions, grapes, carrots, among others. It is roasted in the oven.

Palm flower

It is a kind of cake that is made with yucca and eggs. It is served with tomato sauce.

Glory

It is a sweet made from dried fruits, such as peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts.

Perón cajeta

They contain perón-based sweets, similar to preserves. Each sweet is different: some are coated with brown sugar, others with white sugar, with orange or lemon zest, among others.

Pumpkin Empanadas

They are made with wheat flour dough. They are filled with pumpkin candy, folded and closed. They are fried in abundant oil.

Canned orange

They are prepared with grated skin of this fruit.

Quesadilla

It is a wheat bread topped with cheese, cream cheese, and caramel syrup.

2- Fairs

Crushing Fair

This is a gastronomic fair whose central element is the machaca. Variants of this dish are made: with egg, with vegetables, with garlic sauce, among others.

In some cities a contest is held in which you compete for the title of the best machaca.

Agricultural fair

The Agricultural Commercial and Livestock Fair takes place every year in Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo León, during the month of May.

In this fair, rodeos are set up, bullfights, horseback riding around the city, charro parades, mariachi concerts, among other activities.

Walnut fair

The walnut fair is held in Rayones, Nuevo León, in mid-October.

The center of this celebration is the dried fruit, from which various products are made: nougats, preserves, caramelized nuts, marzipan, among others.

Apple fair

The apple fair has its center in Santiago, Nuevo León. During this fair, mechanical attractions are installed and festivals are held, where the protagonist is the apple.

Villaseca Fair

The Villaseca fair is held in honor of the mariachis, between the months of July and August. On these dates it is common to see charro parades, bullfights, horseback riding and horse races.

3- Traditional festivals

Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead is a celebration that unites two worlds: the aboriginal and the Spanish. There are records that attest that indigenous groups held festivals in honor of the goddess of death before the arrival of Europeans.

Today the festival is celebrated on November 2, as a result of the introduction of Catholicism during the Colony.

The inns

Las posadas is a tradition that takes place between December 16 and 24. This celebration revives the biblical passage that narrates that Mary and Joseph went from inn to inn asking for accommodation, before the birth of Jesus.

4- Dance

The most common dance is that of the Chicaleros, which is of indigenous origin. The dancers dress up in suits made of sacks and masks representing demons.

This dance takes place within the framework of Holy Week, starting on Holy Wednesday. The chicaleros roam the streets of the towns and go into the houses to take kitchen utensils and food.

The dances continue until Santo Domingo, when the chicaleros dance in public and prepare a lunch with the food they "stole" during the week.

The word chicalero comes from the aboriginal word "chical", which means "sacred food shared among all members of the community."

5- Typical costume

In Nuevo León, the typical costume for men consists of a black suede jacket with golden fringes. The trousers are cashmere and, in general, are gray.

On the other hand, the typical costume for women consists of a white flannel and a skirt. The blouse is characterized by having wide sleeves and by leaving the shoulders exposed.

The skirt is in black or brown gabardine. To complete the costume, black boots and a Spanish fan are added.

References

1. Monterrey Cuisine. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from bestday.com
2. New Lion. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from history.com
3. New Lion. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from wikipedia.org
4. Region: State of Nuevo León, Mexico. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from oecd.org
5. State of Nuevo León. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from visitmexico.com
6. Traditional foods of Nuevo León. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from backyardnature.net
7. Traditions of Mexico. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from houstonculture.org