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Legends – September celebrations! 30 favorite things about Mexico


Mexico is a country of traditions, and its popular Legends are a very important part of this country’s culture.

Legends ares stories created by anonymous authors with some basis in history but with many embellishments. They relate facts that occurred in the past, and in which characters may or may not be human. They involve the vision people had of the world at that time, involving historical, political, philosophical and cultural values.

Mexico’s legends date back to the Pre-Hispanic period. During this time, Mexico was comprised of several cultures and indigenous groups. Each group had their own narrations related to their own history, beliefs, traditions and religion. They illustrate their beliefs about the creation of the world, the activities of their deities, stories about their heroes and incredible phenomena.

During the Colonial era in Mexico, new narrations appeared, many of them mixing the religion and their past beliefs. They were accepted by the society and even they influenced in their lives.

Today we share with you some of the most popular Mexican Legends:

La Llorona (The Weeping Woman)

The legend tells the story of a beautiful woman who lived during the Colonial era named Maria, who had three children with a Spanish gentlemen, but he married a Spanish lady. When Maria found this out she lost her mind and killed her children, drowning them and then committed suicide. Ever since, her wailing ghost dressed all in white wanders at midnight weeping and screaming, “¡Ay, mis hijos!” (Oh, my children!)




Don Juan Manuel

Don Juan Manuel was a very wealthy man who was married to a very beautiful woman, but he felt very unfortunate because of his lack of children. As a result, he decided to become a religious man and asked his nephew from Spain to come and handle his assets. Don Juan Manuel was convinced his wife was cheating on him and that the devil ordered him to kill the first man he saw on the street at midnight, hoping he could kill his wife’s lover. He wandered the street and right at midnight, he used to ask: What time is it?, people would answer: Twelve and he would reply right before the fatal blow: Lucky he who knows the time of his death!

One night, the victim was his own beloved nephew. In order to gain pardon for his murders, Don Juan Manuel prayed every night, but the next morning his body was found hanging… rumor says the angels hanged him, others say it was the own devil.



El fantasma de la Basílica de Guadalupe (The Basilica of Guadalupe ghost)


Legend says that some people who have visited the Basilica of Guadalupe at night, or the homeless who sleep in its entry, say a woman walks out from the old Basilica holding a candle that doesn’t blow out in the wind or rain. She walks through the walls of the new Basilica and leave the candle as an offering, prays and then disappears. People say is a lost soul obeying a commitment she hasn’t fulfilled.




During September, will be sharing with you 30 things we love most about Mexico, in honor of this month’s Independence celebrations. Click here to view the complete list.