I was born and raised in Mexico City. I lived there for 18 years of my life before I moved abroad for the first time for college to London. Currently, I have been living in the US for over 5 years now (plus a few months in India in between), so some of my Mexicans habits have definitely changed over time to adapt to this country. Every time I go back to visit my hometown I realized I’ve lost some habits I used to have there. Here are 10 Mexican habits I lost when I moved to the USA.
10 Mexican Habits I Lost When I Moved to the USA
1. Saying “salud!” (or “Bless you!”)
In Mexico, no matter where you are when you sneeze there will always be someone, stranger or not, to tell you “salud!” which literally translates to “health!” but technically means “Bless you!”.
During my first while here in the US I was almost upset when I would sneeze and no one would say “Bless you!”, I almost found it rude. Later, I got used to it and even stopped saying it myself and sometimes even forget to say it when I take my trips back to Mexico.
2. Kissing and hugging
In Mexico, greeting someone with a kiss (basically touching cheeks and making an air kiss sound) and/or a hug is very common. You even greet strangers this way when it is in a casual environment such as the strangers being friends of your friends, or meeting your girlfriend’s family. You wouldn’t kiss or hug say your job interviewer or a doctor you met for the first time.
Here in the US, I would never even think of approaching someone to greet them with an air kiss. I’m also reluctant to hug anybody, and hand shaking still feels weird to me when meeting people in casual environments.
3. Being late
Mexicans are infamously late most of the time. I’m not sure if it’s just Mexico City or the whole country, but even though we mostly blame it on the traffic, I definitely think traffic should take the blame at least 80%. We also somehow always have something to do last-minute. My husband actually calls me “last-minute girl”.
If you are invited to a gathering and they tell you to be there at 3:30pm, the hosts will expect you to arrive at 4 – 4:30pm. It is also common to tell your most unpunctual friends a different earlier time. Amongst a group of friends, there are always a couple of them that are always late.
Here in the US, being on time becomes really stressful because Americans hate unpunctuality and even after just 5 minutes of lateness they will start to wonder where you are and exponentially start getting upset.
I find that I am way more stressed out getting to places in the USA than in Mexico. I am not even an unpunctual person, and I find it quite stressful here. Sometimes I do wish people here would relax more about it.
4. Taking my time
Mexicans enjoy taking their time; we don’t live rushed all the time like they do here in the US. I have three major examples I have experienced:
At a restaurant
At restaurants, we love taking our time eating, drinking, chatting and very importantly eating dessert. The waiter will never rush you to leave or bring your check before you ask for it.
Here in the US, I often feel rushed at restaurants, like they want me to leave just so they can sit more people and make more money. I don’t like that they bring you your check before you ask for it and sometimes even before you are done eating! Many times I have wanted to order dessert but couldn’t because the check was already on the table.
At cashier registers in grocery/convenience stores.
I never even noticed that people behind me were impatiently waiting for me to pay. I would have never noticed that I apparently take forever to take out my wallet and pay while others are waiting until it was brought to my attention by my American husband.
He explained that I need to be ready to pay and not take my time because people behind me and the cashier person get frustrated. I do dislike that I have to now consciously always try to hurry up to pay, have my money out even before I know the total and put my things away quickly. Yes, I often still use cash!
While walking on the streets
I think us Mexicans are infamous for really taking our time, walking slow and blocking the way because we are busy chatting with each other. For the longest time I found myself almost running to play catch up with my walking husband. Over time I have developed a faster walking pace but my short height still doesn’t help since my steps are like half the size than everybody else’s.
5. Eating schedule
In Mexico the biggest meal of the day is lunch not dinner and lunch happens around 3:30pm, with dinner coming around 8pm as a light fare. Dessert and coffee after lunch is very common.
Here in the US, the eating schedule looks something like 8am breakfast, 1pm lunch and 6pm dinner.
I like the Mexican schedule way better and I have tried to adapt it here but I can’t seem to be able to make it work. I don’t like having the heaviest meal to be the last one because it messes with sleep, and I usually crave dessert after my heaviest meal which here in the US ends up looking like me having chocolate, cookies or ice cream at around 8pm in bed watching tv. This really negatively affects my sleep and overall energy.
6. Partying/Drinking
In Mexico, I used to go out with friends to a bar, a house party or a club every single weekend. Weekends are loved by everyone but especially beloved by Mexicans because it means time to unwind. Going out till 3am is common on the weekends.
Here in the US, my partying consists of either going out for dinner + drinks and a movie (and being back before 10pm), or staying at home and watching a movie.
By the way, this is not a complaint. I quite like the new version in my life. More relaxed, less crazy, and less drunken dead brain cells.
My drinking habits changed too. In Mexico, I would never drink at home or during the weekdays. Here it seems that having a drink at home after work or in the evening is very common. We often have wine in the house and often drink some during any day of the week, but the amounts I drink are still way less compared to weekend drinking in Mexico.
7. Being aggressive behind the wheel
In Mexico City, traffic is pretty insane and you can’t play too nice; you gotta be a bit aggressive if you want to move. Running lights is kinda common and yellow light doesn’t mean “slow down”, it means “hurry up before it turns red”, although not technically.
Here in the US, I’m scared of going a little bit over the speed limit and I will never ever run a red light. I have to admit I often don’t come to a complete stop at stop signs if I see no cars, and still speed sometimes.
Oh and honking! I almost forgot. Honking is pretty essential in Mexico, unlike in India where I feel they have their hands taped to the honk. In Mexico, honking serves a specific purpose. Either to let someone know they’re about to hit you, honking at someone who aggressively cuts in front of you (aka: angry honk), or honking at jerk driving behaviour, or sometimes even to get the attention of someone you know.
I don’t think I have ever used the honk in the US because I am terrified of it since no one honks, but there are a few occasions where I have wanted to.
8. Valet parking
Because finding parking spots in Mexico City can be a bit of a drag, using valet parking is very common. Even casual establishments like taquerias will have valet parking depending on the location. It’s also more affordable and worth it.
Here in the US I have used valet parking like once or twice in many years. It definitely seems like a luxury. Oh and don’t get me started on parking fees, they are so expensive here! Compared to parking prices in Mexico, it makes me a bit mad.
9. Dessert
As already mentioned, dessert is an important meal for Mexicans; we have a sweet tooth, some more than others. It is common for any restaurant to offer a good selection of desserts.
I find it kind of hard sometimes to find decent desserts in many restaurants here in the US.
10. Lime on everything
Limes are a great food. They go with everything, or at least us Mexicans think so. It is common to see sliced limes in most dishes.
We put lime on tacos, meat, fish, fruit, candy, chips, popcorn, raw vegetables, soup, beer, mayo… So good. Also, pretty much every restaurant offers fresh “limonada” (limeade, sparkling or still), which is usually my drink of choice. I definitely miss my limonada when eating out in the US.
In the US, I hate to say I rarely buy limes because they are pricey and somehow don’t go well with everything here. I buy more lemons.
So these are some of the main Mexican habits I lost when I moved to the USA.
What are some habits that changed when you moved to another country?
A New Life Wandering 
This was an interesting read for me!
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I’m glad! I actually had fun writing it.
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Lots of similarities between Italians and Mexicans.! 🙂
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Maybe why I like Italy so much 🙂
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Lots of similarities between Italians and Mexicans.! 🙂
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The being late is not just those from Mexico City! We make fun of my Grandpa’s girlfriend who’s from Veracruz. They are infamously perezoso, o flojo!
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Haha , good to know. It’s weird though, Mexicans are hard working and flojos at the same time. Not sure how that works hehe.
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This post made me smile. The things you mentioned we the things i found so weird when I moved here. Nat still can’t find a mayonnaise here that DOESN’T have lime and I still cannot walk as slow as a Mexican! I’m constantly overtaking people in the street.
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Haha, I’m glad it could bring you a smile. People don’t realize that being short also really affects our walking pace and distance. That’s interesting that you can’t find a mayo without lime hehe, you would think at least!
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This post made me smile. The things you mentioned we the things i found so weird when I moved here. Nat still can’t find a mayonnaise here that DOESN’T have lime and I still cannot walk as slow as a Mexican! I’m constantly overtaking people in the street.
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Haha, I’m glad it could bring you a smile. People don’t realize that being short also really affects our walking pace and distance. That’s interesting that you can’t find a mayo without lime hehe, you would think at least!
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Funny to read about the different habits between Mexico and the US. I think Canada and Norway are a bit too similar, haven’t noticed any major changes to my behavior except from the polite small talk you have to get used to here. The ‘how are you’ every time you pass someone in the hall way, by the coffee machine (even if you already met them 5 times before that day…) And they definitely say ‘bless you’ here! All the time:) Canadians are so polite:)
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I love Canadians and Canada… more than Americans, but don’t tell anyone hehe. That’s interesting that Norway is so similar yet pretty far away.
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Funny to read about the different habits between Mexico and the US. I think Canada and Norway are a bit too similar, haven’t noticed any major changes to my behavior except from the polite small talk you have to get used to here. The ‘how are you’ every time you pass someone in the hall way, by the coffee machine (even if you already met them 5 times before that day…) And they definitely say ‘bless you’ here! All the time:) Canadians are so polite:)
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Funny to read about the different habits between Mexico and the US. I think Canada and Norway are a bit too similar, haven’t noticed any major changes to my behavior except from the polite small talk you have to get used to here. The ‘how are you’ every time you pass someone in the hall way, by the coffee machine (even if you already met them 5 times before that day…) And they definitely say ‘bless you’ here! All the time:) Canadians are so polite:)
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I love Canadians and Canada… more than Americans, but don’t tell anyone hehe. That’s interesting that Norway is so similar yet pretty far away.
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it must take a great deal of adjustment to move from one country to another, let alone live in a third for some time too!
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To be honest, it wasn’t too hard to adjust to the US, maybe because I had visited so many times throughout my life but India was definitely hard.
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I can only imagine! Do you miss India?
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It also helps a ton to be fluent in the language. I miss some things and parts about India, but I don’t miss living there in general. 🙂
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it must take a great deal of adjustment to move from one country to another, let alone live in a third for some time too!
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To be honest, it wasn’t too hard to adjust to the US, maybe because I had visited so many times throughout my life but India was definitely hard.
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I can only imagine! Do you miss India?
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Lmao! Ok I gotta say I love the kissing chipmunks, sooo adorable (even if it’s photoshop), but the lime meme of someone literally putting lime on EVERYTHING had me laugh out loud, like for a long time 🙂 I swear I was Mexican in my past lives because I have the same “take-my-time” attitude. I laughed so hard at being rushed at the cash register…it’s soooo true. Even here in Canada there’s zero patience at cash registers. Thanks for the laughs!!
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Haha I love it! I’m glad I could cause you a few laughs. I really had no idea people were impatient at cash registers and probably would have never noticed if it wasn’t for my husband telling me because it’s not like people tell you to hurry or anything, they just sulk in their increasing impatience.
Actually, I don’t think the photo of those prairie dogs is photoshop. 🙂
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Lmao! Ok I gotta say I love the kissing chipmunks, sooo adorable (even if it’s photoshop), but the lime meme of someone literally putting lime on EVERYTHING had me laugh out loud, like for a long time 🙂 I swear I was Mexican in my past lives because I have the same “take-my-time” attitude. I laughed so hard at being rushed at the cash register…it’s soooo true. Even here in Canada there’s zero patience at cash registers. Thanks for the laughs!!
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Haha I love it! I’m glad I could cause you a few laughs. I really had no idea people were impatient at cash registers and probably would have never noticed if it wasn’t for my husband telling me because it’s not like people tell you to hurry or anything, they just sulk in their increasing impatience.
Actually, I don’t think the photo of those prairie dogs is photoshop. 🙂
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Lmao! Ok I gotta say I love the kissing chipmunks, sooo adorable (even if it’s photoshop), but the lime meme of someone literally putting lime on EVERYTHING had me laugh out loud, like for a long time 🙂 I swear I was Mexican in my past lives because I have the same “take-my-time” attitude. I laughed so hard at being rushed at the cash register…it’s soooo true. Even here in Canada there’s zero patience at cash registers. Thanks for the laughs!!
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Haha I love it! I’m glad I could cause you a few laughs. I really had no idea people were impatient at cash registers and probably would have never noticed if it wasn’t for my husband telling me because it’s not like people tell you to hurry or anything, they just sulk in their increasing impatience.
Actually, I don’t think the photo of those prairie dogs is photoshop. 🙂
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oh haha prairie dogs, of course! And I’m so glad it’s not photo-shopped because it’s just precioso la foto 🙂
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I hate how in America they bring the bill before you’re done eating too! It feels like you’re being thrown out of the restaurant. But if deser
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Oops! If dessert in Mexico is as good as you make it sound then I need to go to Mexico!
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haha yes! Honestly, all of the food in Mexico is the best. I think a lot of restaurants are actually trying to get people in and out as fast as possible to serve more tables make more money and more tips.
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I hate how in America they bring the bill before you’re done eating too! It feels like you’re being thrown out of the restaurant. But if deser
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Oops! If dessert in Mexico is as good as you make it sound then I need to go to Mexico!
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haha yes! Honestly, all of the food in Mexico is the best. I think a lot of restaurants are actually trying to get people in and out as fast as possible to serve more tables make more money and more tips.
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I hate how in America they bring the bill before you’re done eating too! It feels like you’re being thrown out of the restaurant. But if deser
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Oops! If dessert in Mexico is as good as you make it sound then I need to go to Mexico!
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Great observations! When I first started working in Mexico City, I hated waiting for restaurants to open for lunch – my day started very early and I was starving by noon. I got used to it with time. And I have happily exported back to Gringolandia the custom of lime on everything. Everything. The “kissing hello” custom doesn’t bother me, but it did take some getting used to.
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Great observations! When I first started working in Mexico City, I hated waiting for restaurants to open for lunch – my day started very early and I was starving by noon. I got used to it with time. And I have happily exported back to Gringolandia the custom of lime on everything. Everything. The “kissing hello” custom doesn’t bother me, but it did take some getting used to.
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That is an interesting look at two cultures that are next to each other, and intermingle with each other. I think the importance of time is something all Americans could benefit from. Punctuality and impatience are a big part of our culture.
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It is interesting how neighboring countries can be so different from each other.
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You provide an interesting look at the two cultures. What is the one thing you’d change about culture in the USA, and the one thing you’d change about Mexican culture?
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About the USA the thing that bugs me the most is probably the obsession with work and money, people live for that and because of it, it causes so many problems. They are never satisfied with life, they are always in a rush, and they are greedy. Because of this work ethic it’s true Americans are great at what they do and are the best in many things in the world, but I would still prefer them to chill out a little hehe.
About Mexico, I would like to get rid of the corruption which is an infinite entanglement and wouldn’t even know where to start. Policemen take bribes out of pure necessity to provide for their families. I would also like the city to be cleaner and of course way less traffic and pollution that comes with it. Now I realize that those things aren’t necessarily a cultural thing but right now I can’t think of anything cultural I would change.
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That is an interesting look at two cultures that are next to each other, and intermingle with each other. I think the importance of time is something all Americans could benefit from. Punctuality and impatience are a big part of our culture.
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I just sneezed in a room full of mexicans and nobody said “bless you” or “salud.” One women gave me a dirty look though. I found this article because I was questioning if its in the culture to say bless you, because in America everyone says bless you to me.
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That is so weird haha! I’ve been living in the US for 5 years now and I swear no one says bless you when I sneeze, but they do every time I go back to Mexico.
So I don’t know what’s going on. It’s a mystery now.
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I just moved TO Mexico from US and I’m originally from Ukraine. I would agree with the article that almost everyone is LATE OR DOESN’T SHOW UP at all here… Pretty sweet and warm people, just really flaky and can be inconsiderate.
Health culture is not there (yet), at least in Tijuana. Large organic food stores are non existent. Nevertheless, restaurants offer much better menu, service and for a fraction of the American cost.
Girl’s night out with bar hopping and nightclubs is a very unsafe thing to do according to most locals. Daytime lounging is safe though.
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I haven’t lived in the northern part of Mexico. I hope you like it there, and thanks for sharing your experience.
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