For millions of people, 2025 was a year like any other, filled with ritual, peace, shopping and the occasional hint of scandal.
From the aroma of fresh tortillas drifting from a corner tortillería to the vibrant hum of a morning mercado, Mexico finds joy in the details. The country’s rhythms are set not by grand events but by the quiet, everyday moments that define its warmth and humanity. These small pleasures — sipping café de olla sweetened with piloncillo, lingering over conversations in sun-dappled plazas, or hearing the faint strum of a street guitarist — form the threads that weave together Mexican life. It’s a culture that celebrates being present, finding beauty in what’s simple, enduring, and shared.
We’ve collected some of the best snapshots of life in Mexico this year:
Sometimes, it’s about life’s simple pleasures
Hunting for furniture with personality in Mexico City? La Lagunilla’s sprawling Sunday market turns shopping into a full-contact sport of haggling, treasure-hunting, and people-watching, where mid-century gems sit beside kitsch and collectibles. This story walks you through the chaos, the characters, and the thrill of dragging home a wobbly, wonderful piece you’ll swear was destined for your living room.
The joys of buying your furniture at La Lagunilla market in Mexico City
Has Mexico gentrified its history?
Yoga on the beach, cacao under the stars, a “Mayan” limpia at sunrise… but how much of this is truly ancient, and how much is clever New Age branding? This sharp, funny investigation pulls back the curtain on Tulum-style spiritual tourism, tracing real Indigenous healing traditions, invented rituals, and dollar-priced “authenticity” sold to foreigners seeking enlightenment. Find out what’s genuinely sacred—and what’s just good marketing in a feathered headdress.
Spiritual tourism in Mexico: Are the rituals really ancient?
Is a singing transgender drug lord making light of Mexico’s cartel crisis?
When a Golden Globe–winning musical comedy asks Mexico to laugh with a cartel boss seeking redemption, what gets erased? This impassioned essay by a Mexican screenwriter dissects Emilia Pérez’s glossy violence, “narco-hero” framing, and foreign gaze against a backdrop of 300,000 dead and 121,000 disappeared. Read why dazzling performances and design can’t outweigh the pain of seeing a national trauma turned into spectacle.
‘Emilia Pérez’ is the most insensitive film I’ve seen in years
What is Mexican food, and where should we draw the line?
Chipotle is coming home… sort of. In 2026, the U.S. fast-casual giant will open its first restaurant in Mexico, igniting memes, nationalism, and inevitable Taco Bell comparisons. María Meléndez breaks down why Chipotle is Tex-Mex, not “real” Mexican, how powerhouse operator Alsea plans to make it work, and why most locals might see it as a “prefer that to nothing” option, not a crave-worthy comida corrida replacement.
Chipotle? Well, if we really must…
Home is where the heart is
Living abroad can make you feel more Mexican than ever. In this heartfelt essay from Dubai, writer Gabriela Solis reflects on becoming an “ambassador,” fielding constant “Where are you from?” questions, and tearing up when strangers praise Mexico. From hunting down proper enchiladas to bonding over supermarket quesadillas, she reveals how distance, food, and chance encounters sharpen her sense of identity — and why patriotism can hit hardest far from home.
Why I feel more Mexican living abroad
Source: Mexico News Daily
