A Xuchil image from Mexico

Xuchiles Are Funeral Offerings in the Form of Flowers and Cacti

Xuchiles are funeral offerings in the form of flowers and cacti about two meters wide and the height of a story-and-a- half building.  They...
Chiles en Nogado at Lake Chapala, Mexico

Have You Tried Chiles en Nogada?  

In Mexican gastronomy, there is a dish that not only tops the list of favorite foods served in Mexico, but also represents the history...
May religious festivals in San Miguel de Allende

May Continues Religious Observances in San Miguel de Allende

The month of May continues religious observances in San Miguel de Allende that date back to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th...
Landmark Parroquia De San Miguel Arcangel cathedral

How Did a Bug from San Miguel de Allende Alter Art History?  

In the past painters, got their pigments from nature. In San Miguel de Allende, it was red cochineal, a cacti-dwelling bug that expanded scarlet’s...
Panoramic view of San Miguel de Allende

The Long and Fascinating History of Ejidos

My pal volunteers for a countryside agrarian charity and one day received an offer to buy some land there at a very reasonable price, so he...
A five-point piñata in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

The Piñata Business in the Pandemic

Much like the cloistered nuns’ tamale business and my neighbor’s chair rental company, the piñata business in the pandemic, equally dependent on social gatherings,...
Tomatoes in Mexico

Mexico Rules the International Tomato Market

The tomato has been an integral part of the world’s diet for over two centuries and is now the most used fruit in international gastronomy....
Crowded street in San Miguel de Allende

How to Decipher Names in Mexico

For new expats, understanding the naming convention used in Mexico is not tops on their list of things to know, but it’s important to...
church

St. Joseph Is the Model for Mexican Masculinity

St. Joseph is the model for Mexican masculinity although mentioned only eight times in the New Testament. Prior to the late medieval period, Church...
Archangel church Dome Steeple.

How Are Expats Coping with the Virus in San Miguel de Allende?

How are expats coping with the virus in San Miguel de Allende? Well, human nature is endlessly fascinating and, given the pandemic, it has...