Values and Family

The Mexican people value the family above all else. Many times business is always secondary to family. Because of this, the Mexican people have lunch breaks in the middle of the day and often close their shops early in the day (by American standards) so that they can spend more time at home. Shops will close at their closing times and the owners and workers will head for home to be with their families.

Due to the value that Mexicans place on the family, there are many family oriented restaurants throughout Mexico. Unlike some upscale restaurants in the United States and Europe which tend to frown on young children, many fancy restaurants in Mexico welcome families with children.

Greetings are more formal in Mexico than in the United States. If you're a man, use a handshake when greeting other men, or when greeting a woman for the first time. If the woman is a friend or acquaintance, a kiss on the cheek is customary. If you're a woman, a handshake will do for first meetings of both men and women, but with friends and acquaintances, both men and women, a handshake and a kiss on the cheek.