Mexican Religion Shapes Culture

Mexican Religion Shapes Culture Throughout the world, the expansion of religion has significantly influenced the development of humanity in many different ways. Religion is an organized collection of belief and cultural systems with world views that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values (dictionary.com). Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to explain the origin of the Universe and give a convincing meaning to life. It was Hernan Cortes who first brought the Catholic Church to Mexico in 1521. His expedition, which included a friar named Bartolome de Olmedo and a priest named Juan Diaz, was mandated to convert the Indians into Christians. After the Spanish conquest,
Amongst the important dates for the Mexican families are the 12th of December which is known as the Nuestra senora de Guadalupe. The 24th and 25th of December are important dates according to the Christian traditions.”(Country Facts 2)
The biggest holidays for Mexican families are religion based. Families get together to celebrate their religion and also to celebrate their family. Religion and family go hand in hand in Mexico and these events are used to keep even extended family as closely knit as possible. Mexican families sometimes make pilgrimages to The Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe. A pilgrimage, defined by The Modern Catholic Dictionary, is a journey to a sacred place undertaken as an act of religious devotion. Its purpose may be simply to venerate a certain saint or ask some spiritual favor; beg for physical cure or perform an act of penance; express thanks or fulfill a promise. In The Houston Chronicle, journalist Dudley Althaus reports on Mexican pilgrimages, “tens of thousands of Mexico 's Roman Catholic faithful will travel narrow and hazardous two-lane highways through central Mexico 's cold highlands to the Basilica of The Virgin of Guadalupe.” (Althaus). Most who embark on this journey do not do so alone. Many families will make a pilgrimage together in order to prove their faithfulness or to ask for a
Roman Catholicism was established as the dominant, but not official, religion of Mexico. Today, about 89% of Mexicans still identify themselves by this division of Christian religion. Throughout the world, the expansion of religion has significantly influenced the development of humanity in many different ways.

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