Archive for 'Spanish Culture'
Mafalda, l’enfant terrible Posted by Magda on Sep 14, 2010
She’s a girl. She’s six years old. She loves the Beatles, pancakes, democracy, and human rights… and she hates soup. Does this sound familiar to you? No? Maybe it will, if I give you just a single name: Mafalda. The character of Mafalda, her family and friends, were created in 1962 by Joaquin Salvador Lavado…
Los Refranes Posted by Adir on Sep 11, 2010
Los refranes are folkloric sentences that carry ideological values and the way people think. They are, therefore, ways of expressing culture and play a moralizing role in society. Let’s check out some very interesting refranes with their translation and thematic explanation in Spanish. 1. Perro ladrador, poco mordedor. – A dog that barks a lot…
Mexican culture: El Mariachi Posted by Adir on Sep 9, 2010
Mariachi music is one of Mexico’s greatest traditions. The term mariachi comes from the Coca Indians and it means “music”. It’s considered one of the most romantic music forms all over the world and in a mariachi band you can find violins, trumpets, a guitar, a vihuela (typical mariachi guitar) and a guitarrón (a big…
Las Cabañuelas, or an ancestral weather forecast Posted by Magda on Sep 7, 2010
Who hasn’t checked the weather on TV before going on a trip or when planning a vacation? Well, in Spain we have more accurate way than just listening to a weather person, and that is to follow the Cabañuelas. This weird term refers to an ancient method of predicting weather. Used by our grandparents, simple…
How to agree and disagree in Spanish Posted by Adir on Sep 3, 2010
In every language we need to know how to agree or disagree and here are some useful sentences for you to use when agreeing or disagreeing with someone. To agree – Estar de acuerdo Es cierto. – That’s true. That’s right. Estoy de acuerdo. – I agree. Eso creo yo también. – I think so…
“La Tomatina” de Buñol Posted by Magda on Aug 31, 2010
I’m starting to believe that there are celebrations for any random reason in the world. Bearing that in mind, it won’t sound so strange that in Spain we celebrate one with tomatoes. It consists in just that: people throwing tomatoes at each other. However, the tomatoes are crushed before being thrown, so you don’t hurt…
Borriquillo Posted by Magda on Aug 26, 2010
There are many indigenous species in Spain, but donkeys are among the ones I love the most. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have just a dog or a cat when I was a child, but I also considered our donkey as my personal pet. Although this animal’s name is a synonym for stubbornness, donkeys are…