Mexican ProverbsThe rat who only knows about one hole will soon be caught by the cat. Since excuses were invented, no one is ever in the wrong. He who speaks too much is tiresome; he who speaks to little is boring. He who assists everybody assists nobody. Speak plain—call bread bread, and wine wine. He who lingers around will hear bad things spoken about him. One timely shout is better than constant talk. He who follows his own advice must take the consequences. If you want to live in peace, you must not tell everything that you know, nor judge everything that you see. It’s a bad start of the week for the man who is hanged on a Monday. Note: In Mexico, Monday (Lunes) is the first day of the week. Trust your best friend as you would your worst enemy. A golden cage is still a cage. The person who asks for little deserves nothing. He who knows nothing neither doubts nor fears anything. If you don’t honor your wife, you are dishonoring yourself. |
Mexico was the site of many Native American civilizations in the first millennium AD, including the Maya and Aztec, who were both conquered by Spanish explorers in the early 1500s. In the early 1800s, Mexican rebels were able to negotiate independence from Spain. In the mid 1800s, America initiated a war with Mexico called the Mexican War, which resulted in Mexico’s loss of areas that currently make up Western and Southwestern United States. Mexico later endured many civil wars and political rebellions until the early 1900s. The recent election of Vicente Fox to the Mexican presidency in 2000 ended a longstanding political domination of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Most Mexicans have either European and/or Native American ancestry. Of Mexico’s 100 million inhabitants, about 18 million live in the Mexico City metro area. Mexican themes include Catholicism, silver, economic problems, literature, murals, music, movies, television, soccer, bullfighting, baseball, boxing (including legendary fighter Julio Cesar Chavez), sombreros, corn, beans, rice, salsa, coffee, and squash. |