THE 6 BEST KNOWN BAJA CALIFORNIA TRADITIONS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Some of the traditions of Baja California are the fiestas of the Sun, the winter visitor festivities, the San Felipe Carnival or off-road races. Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico and the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, with an area of ​​70,113 square kilometers.

Mexico is well known for its land full of culture and a population that loves all kinds of celebrations, as well as paying homage to nature through various festivals and ceremonies.

But when the colonial era arrived, new customs and traditions were added, creating a totally new culture but without losing the good taste of its celebrations.

Baja California has very fun, particular and striking traditions, very rich foods and dances that turn out to be emblematic for the country.

Traditional holidays

Sun Festival

These annual festivals are held at the end of September and the beginning of October in the capital of the region.

The main objective of these festivities is to show the achievements in terms of agriculture, commerce, livestock and industry.

The city council of the city of Mexicali organizes a large festival where a set of commercial, agricultural and industrial exhibitions are also held, thus being considered the largest fair in Baja California.

This traditional festival manages to bring together a large number of people, but not only to enjoy the exhibitions, but also participate in the fun and popular dances of this region. In addition, national artists, typical foods, rides and more are presented.

Winter visitor festivities

This is one of the most popular fiestas in Baja California. It basically consists of offering a welcome party to winter visitors, also known as Snow Birds (visitors from Canada and the United States).

Carnival of San Felipe

In this festival the main attraction are the floats equipped with funny mechanical movements, troupes, fun traditional dances and cultural and sporting events.

This event opens with a beautiful fireworks ceremony. Then the coronation of the carnival queen begins to give way to the parade of the floats and the comparsas.

It also gives way to performances by musical groups from Baja California locations such as Ensenada, Mexicali and Tijuana.

Off-road racing

Throughout the year Baja California is the host of off-road races, where both national and foreign competitors participate.

All kinds of rally vehicles participate in these races, from off-road cars to enduro-type motorcycles and quad bikes.

It is also common to see bicycle races and boat races, as well as professional baseball and basketball team competitions.

The best known off-road race is the Baja 1000 or Mexican 1000, which is considered the longest race in the world and with only one stage.

Matachines dance

In this dance it is possible to hear the singing of the Masters and the singers, together with the roll of the drum and the ringing of the bells.

This creates a sound, turbulent and slightly deafening environment that announces the elevation of the sacred forms. In this dance there is much mysticism and great adoration.

Typical foods of Baja California

Something that all visitors love when visiting Baja California is the exquisite and delicious food of this region. Most of the dishes come from the sea, such as lobster accompanied by rice and beans in Puerto Nuevo. Another typical dish is fish tacos.

The bread and rompope of the Madres Bridiginas is also part of this rich gastronomy in the town of Tecate.

On the other hand, you can find a great diversity of internationally renowned table wines in the Valle de Guadalupe.

In this town, festivities are held annually so that visitors can enjoy the wines and culture of the region.

It should also be noted that in Mexicali there are about 120 Chinese food establishments. This is a very traditional meal, because there is a significant volume of the Chinese community in this town.

References

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4. Olvera, M. (November 27, 2012). espinozaolvera.blogspot.com/. Obtained from espinozaolvera.blogspot.com
5. Serrano, EA (October 21, 2013). Estadodebajacalifornianorte101.blogspot.com. Obtained from estadodebajacalifornianorte101.blogspot.com
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