Las Posadas is a Mexican holiday that is like Christmas for the United States. It was originated in Spain and lasts for nine days. This holiday begins on December sixteenth and ends on December twenty-fourth. This is also a catholic holiday but most people in Mexico celebrate it. This holiday was thought to be started in the sixteenth century by “St. Ignatius of Loyola or Friar Pedro de Gant in Mexico.” In Mexico they have a tradition where they put a candle in a paper lampshade. Then they would take the lampshade with the candle inside it and went outside to sing a song, allowing Joseph and Mary to be recognized and allowed to enter the world. This is still a tradition today but one thing has changed from around when it was started. It, for some people, celebrated it in a church instead of the family’s home. There is a thing that is common for both the United Stated and Mexico. They both sing Christmas carols, they go along to houses or in a church and sing Christmas songs. On these days the children will break piñatas to get the candy and prizes inside. They also so another thing ...
One of the most memorable moments in my life has to be when my grandaughter Aliana Marie Garcia was born. I had been waiting for her to come to this world for a whole nine months!. it was already a special day I held closely as my religion celebrates a special occasion on that day, it is called, "El Dia de Los Reyes", which is a special religious holiday in Mexican culture that is centered around small gifts for children. It was definitely a very wonderful surprise with the precious gift any person can obtain, the gift of life.
After Calle Ocho and Lent comes Easter Sunday, where the celebration of Easter honors Christ’s resurrection. Since eggs are symbols for renewal and is perfect for spring, it is used for decorations and egg hunting activities. Mexican Americans put a different spin on the event, draining and cleaning eggshells a month before Easter to create cascarones. Cascarón or cascarones means eggshell. Cascarones are filled with confetti and closed with colored tissue paper to make hats that can be cracked over someone’s head. In April, there is a recent Mexican celebration that was immigrated to the United States called Día de los Niños/ Día de los Libros which translated means Day of Children/Day of Books. It has been reintroduced to the U.S. as a celebration of children and reading. Today, it can be celebrated at libraries, at a parade or at home with children. In May, there is Cinco de Mayo. It is already known in the U.S. to be a day of party or fiesta, but it also g...
The history of this holiday is all about the battle of Puebla. Before the battle Mexico was in an economic crisis. The president at that time was Benito Juarez, he decided to stop the payments on the external debt so that he could handle that internal finical situation in Mexico. Mexico was in serve debt with France, England and Spain. These countries sent a delegation because they didn’t think they were going to get paid back. The president reasoned with Spain and Britain but not the French. The French wanted to take over Mexico so they had other ideas than to reason with them. France at this time was being ruled by Napoleon III. He was the one who wanted to invade France so he could make Mexico an empire. The French army invaded Mexico late in 1861. President Juarez and the government went into hiding because of the French army. The French was certain then that they would win so, they sent in 6,000 of their troops to Puebla de Los Angeles lead by General Charles Latrille de Lorencez. When the President of Mexico heard about tha...
Feasts and rituals are held in the Virgin’s honor on December 12 of each year, the day she is believed to have appeared to Juan Diego. These feasts and rituals are held throughout Mexico, as well as in cities within the United States cities with large Mexican-American populations. Included in the rituals are imagery and practices native to the Indigenous population Mexico, reinforcing the Virgin’s importance as a deity of to the Indigenous.
At first, I had a hard time decided on where in Los Angeles to go and observe for this assignment. There were a lot of great choices because Los Angeles is very diverse city. As the due date of this paper was getting closer, I got an invite from one of my friends to the Cinco De Mayo party that is being thrown by his parents. At first, I was hesitant to say yes, but then I thought about how this would be a great opportunity for my assignment. So I said yes to my friend’s invitation. I’ve never been to a Cinco De Mayo party before so I didn’t know what to expect or what the dress code is.
Cultural value orientations are the, “basic and core beliefs of a culture; that have to deal with one’s relationship with one another and the world” (McCarty & Hattwick, 1992). All cultures may encounter challenges with the media and society of how their beliefs and values are represented. There are several factors that resemble how cultural values influence a culture, more specifically the Hispanic culture in Yuma, AZ. Some of those factors are, the expression of their individual and collective identity through communication, cultures identity expressed though the mass media channels, examples of the value orientations that influence the groups communications behaviors, and one of the major events that challenged Hispanics identities.
To help me understand and analyze a different culture, I watched the film Selena. The film tells the life story of the famous singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Not only does it just tell personal stories from her life, it also gives insight to the Mexican-American culture. Her whole life she lived in the United States, specifically in Texas, but was Hispanic and because of that both her and her family faced more struggles than white singers on the climb to her success. Even though the film is a story about a specific person, it brought understanding into the culture in which she lived. Keeping in mind that these ideas that I drew about the Mexican-American culture is very broad and do not apply to every single person in the culture, there were very obvious differences in their culture and the one that I belong. Mexican-American culture identifies with their family rather than individualized or spiritual identities and the culture has gone through significant changes because of discrimination and the changing demographics of the United States.
Folklore is a collection of stories passed down from generation to generation that includes Legends, Myths and Fairy tales. Legends are a semi-true story, which has been passed on from a person to another person that has an important meaning. Myths are a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon. A Fairytale is a children's story about magical which they have imaginary beings and lands. Hispanic Folklore is the traditional is mostly about beliefs, legends, customs and stories of the community of the hispanic culture. Hispanic or latino culture encompasses the traditions, language, religious beliefs and practices, legends, music and history.
I am familiar with both the Mexican culture and the regular American Culture. Those two cultures aren’t alike. Mexicans celebrate different holidays. In American culture, we celebrate 4th of July because of the declaration of independence. But in Mexican culture, we also celebrate Independence Day but on the 16th of September, because we won the war against the Spaniards. Also, in American culture we celebrate the holiday that all kids love, Halloween on October 31st. Halloween is a day to go trick-or-treating and have fun. In Mexico, we celebrate “El Día De Los Muertos “(Day of The Dead) on November 1st. Day of the dead is a day where we remember all the people that have died and that holiday is in honor of them. Mexicans also celebrate “El Día De Los Reyes Magos” also known as “Day Of The Three Wise Men”. This day is celebrated for the day that the three wise men took each 1 gift to the Virgin Mary’s son. Columbus Day is a holiday that is celebrated in both American and Mexican culture. But besides the holidays, Mexican food is different from the all American food that is seen everyday. From pozole, tacos, quesadillas, and so many other foods, the cultures aren’t the same.
Our world is made up of many diverse cultures. These cultures have influenced many aspects of this world that we live in today. Understanding and developing knowledge about these cultures is vitally important. Having the ability to understand other cultures will allow you to look deeper into your own cultural values.
Common rituals in Hispanic communities are the celebration of birthdays and the breaking of the piñata. The celebration of the girls’ 15 years, which is believed to be the age at which girls become women, with a big party, dance, food, etc. The Day of the Dead (celebrated in November) is a day to remember friends and family members that have passed away. That day people make a big party as well. Hispanics usually celebrate Christmas’ Eve and New Year’s Eve with lots of food, friends and family. The Three Kings (Los Reyes Magos) is in January (similar to Santa Claus), and they are supposed to bring toys to the
...parts of the celebration, October 31st, November 1st, and finally November 2nd. On October 31st, it is seen that the kid’s souls return. November 1st is considered the adult’s day of returning, and November 2nd is when all souls have returned from the dead and there is a big celebration. People of Mexico celebrate by making many baked goods and cooking meals, making objects such as masks and decorating papers and toy coffins to prepare for the return of the souls.
La Semana Santa is a holiday celebrated in most Spanish speaking countries but it originated in Spain. It takes place the entire week prior to Easter or, in Spanish, Pascua. They celebrate their Christian traditions and on this very important holiday. During this week, the city is very busy. All of the businesses close their shops for Semana Santa but the bars and restaurants stay open. Every afternoon, floats parade through the city, some carrying a life size Jesus and Virgin Mary for hours.
For my final paper, I will be discussing the culture of Spain. People that live in Spain are referred to as Spaniards. For the most part, the Spanish culture speak Spanish and might have some knowledge in the English language as well. The population of Spain is estimated to be around 47 million (“Spain” paragraph 1). The main two ethnicities/races of Spain include the composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types. Spaniards are guaranteed the freedom of religion; however, the majority of Spaniards are Catholic. It is very common in Spain to use physical contact when communicating with one another. In Spain, this is not considered an invasion of personal space because the Spaniards are accustomed to this communication habit. Bullfighting is obviously one of the more known customs of Spain than any other although with the new generation problems arise how humane the event is. “La siesta” is the balance between work and pleasure. The Spaniards get a few mid-day hours to eat lunch and rest. Lunch is the most important meal of the day in Spain and the nightlife is extended until four in the morning (“Culture & Customs in Spain” paragraph 1-2). Spanish culture has a vast artistic heritage. In the 20th century, some of the
...cing and partying at their graveyards? That’s Mexican celebrate the Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On the first two days in November, they stop everything for the most distinctive festival that mixes Aztec and Catholic traditions into a special time for families to come together to honor their deceased ones. November 2nd is the official national holiday for the Day of the Dead. An Aztec mid- August banquet with the ancestors was appropriated by Catholic priest to coincide with their All Saints Day to encourage the conversion of the Indians to the Catholic faith.