Colors of Cozumel Island - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Communicating with the locals on Cozumel, remember that every human life here is full of different rituals, which are very important for people. For example, a conversation here always begins with the phrase «Hello, how are you?», and there is only one answer to this question: «I’m fine, and you?». That is followed by hugs, kisses and actually discussing. When you are leaving, it is customary to say goodbye using the phrase «see you again», even if you are sure that it is not true. It is customary here to observe a lot of rules of conduct that may seem meaningless to the European.

A European may be surprised by the habit of locals to greet only with a kiss on the cheek. It does not matter whether we are talking about a close friend or a teacher at the university, a colleague at work or a boss – the greeting is always the same. Residents of Cozumel tend to stay young and carefree as long as possible. Here it is customary to refer to men with the word joven ( young man ), and to women señorita (girl). Even if your interlocutor is a solid man of 40 years or a woman with three children, another treatment here may well be offended. Local residents like to pay compliments to people they like. They always try to be extremely polite, smile and joke – and they want to get the same from the interlocutor, otherwise, they can get upset and stop communicating.

Smile and ease accompany everyday communication, business meetings, and the solution of any questions. It should not be forgotten that this style of communication has a downside – the locals do not want, and perhaps do not know how to directly deny anything. The refusal will be well hidden under a dozen polite phrases and compliments. In addition, it can be said that the islanders are usually unpunctual. If you have agreed on something with a local man, and he says «mañana», remember that in addition to tomorrow it also means «next week», «maybe» and «never». We can only guess what exactly the interlocutor wanted to say. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

When communicating with locals, do not discuss the topic of relations between the indigenous population and the United States. The fact is that the Mexicans themselves are mostly descendants of colonists and Indians, but despite this, they consider themselves a separate nation, in contrast to the indigenous population of the island. Although in recent years the Americans are tolerated here. If you are invited to visit a local resident, remember that it is not necessary to feed the guest here. An owner of the house can offer you only chips and water. What's interesting, it will be a good idea to bring your food and give a small gift to the owner of the house.

Vitality and creativity of Cozumel residents perfectly harmonize with asceticism. There are not too much furniture and almost no luxury items in the houses, regardless of the wealth of the owner. Moreover, many drivers prefer to fill the tank of the car for 3-4 litres at a time, in order to save money. Don't be surprised to see a well-dressed Mexican arguing with a merchant for every peso on the street. At the same time, you can not blame the islanders for miserliness, a desire to save money here is a part of the national culture. Note that although the locals know a lot about strong drinks, they never drink too much and always behave decently.

The inhabitants of Cozumel love to have fun. For example, Carnival is considered to be the most colourful and large-scale event in the whole country. During the celebration of the Day of the Dead, which is held on November 2, locals build altars at the graves of the dead. They believe that ancestors can communicate with the living on this day. During the annual air show here are not only shown aerobatics, but people also sing, perform breakdance and folk dances. The local Street Art Festival, which attracts many talented artists is also quite large-scale event. Cozumel Scuba Fest attracts divers from all over the world. Independence Day is also widely celebrated on the island.