A Lost Culture

My senior year in high school, my family took a trip to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico with friends of ours.

Tienen una casa allí, así que nos fuimos con la esperanza de explorar la cultura.

Previously, I had been to Panama and so I expected Puerto Rico to be a lot like it, however I was sadly mistaken. (The beaches were just as nice though!)

Aunque en algunos lugares todavía conservan la cultura del pueblo puertorriqueño, la mayoría delas cosas se han Americanizado. En algunas zonas del Viejo San Juan existen ruinas. Eranpreciosos y era una lástima que la ciudad entera podría no han mantenido su significado

Many of the old churches and historical sites had been turned into tourist areas as a means to making money.

 

En Panamá, las personas llenaron las calles vendiendo artesanía, objetos, joyas con significado especial; este era algo que yo esperaba encontrar en Puerto Rico y sin embargo no existe ninguno. 

Todo estaba sujeta a impuestos, muchas cosas fueron importados de otros países y había muchas cosas que pueden ser comprados en los Estados Unidos.

 We went on a catamaran to a private island one night. On this island was a hotel which had a Hibachi steak restaurant inside. So Americanized. 

It was really disappointing to see how a culture and place so beautiful could be so lost and consumed by a culture as greedy as ours. Although some culture has been preserved it was shocking to see how easily it can be lost. 

Las Tradiciones Navideñas

Con la temporada de vacaciones aquí, así que empiece las tradiciones que todos conocemos y amamos.Cada familia tiene su propia forma de hacer las cosas, sin embargo, estas costumbres derivan de aquellos de su cultura . Me imaginé no hay mejor manera de prepararse para las vacaciones a continuación para explorar las tradiciones y costumbres de diferentes culturas.


Spain: Spain has many traditions that are common to most places. It has its unique traditions as well. One such tradition is "Hogueras" meaning bonfires, and this tradition was around before Christmas came to be. Hogueras is the observances of the winter solstice which is the shortest day of the year, which is also the beginning of winter. People jump over bonfires to prevent illness.  Nativity scenes, known as "Nacimiento" are very common. Christmas Eve is a big day in Spain. At midnight, bells aree rung calling families to come to the Mass of the Rooster or La Misa Del Gallo. These are candlight services held at monasteries and churches. Christmas dinner is eaten after midnight and after this families gather together around the christmas tree and sing carols and hymns for hours. Christmas Day is spent in church and feasting. Another custom specific to Spain is "swinging"; the swings are set up in courtyards and people swing to songs. The Three Wise Men come bearing gifts instead of Santa and Christmas continues until January 6th, when the Wise Men come bearing gifts and filling the childrens shoes which are placed on their doorsteps. 


Argentina- Navidad en la Argentina incluye muchas de las tradiciones que tenemos en los Estados Unidos. Casas están decoradas con luces y escenas de la natividad. Cualquier tipo de árbol puede utilizarse como un árbol de Navidad y están decoradas con luces y adornos. Se sirven platos tradicionales de invierno aunque la Navidad se produce en el verano. Los alimentos no tradicionales tales como el helado son también sirve. La víspera de Navidad se dedica normalmente en la iglesia y luego las fiestas se prolongan por la noche. La medianoche se celebra con champagne, sidra y clerico. Los regalos son luego intercambiadas. Fuegos artificiales comienzan temprano en la mañana y la gente se aglomera en las playas de Buenos Aires


Mexico- In Mexico, the Christmas festivities begin on December 16th and buildup until Christmas Eve. "La Posadas" commemorate the events of Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Each night of "Posada" after dark, a procession led by two children begins. The children carry a platform with replicas of Mary and Joseph on it. Those with them carry long slim candles and sing "Litany of the Virgin" as they near the house assigned for the first "Posada". They ask those at the house for lodge, and those in the house threaten and refuse them. The company continues pleading for lodge until finally the owner of the house learns who these people are and lets them in. Everyone kneels around the manger scene and sing and pray. Then begins the time of "Pinata" with refreshments and dancing. The children get to hit the pinata with a stick until it bursts open raining down goodies. On Christmas Eve a verse is added to the Ave Marias, and children dressed as shepherds stand on both sides of the nativity scene while the Christ Child is lulled to sleep with a lullaby. At midnight, fireworks are set off to announce the birth of Christ. Whistles are blown and bells are rung. People rush to church to attend the "Miso de Gallo" and after the mass, families return home for massive feasts. On Christmas Day, no special celebrations occur -- an American style Christmas has been adopted including a Christmas tree and Santa Claus. 

GOYA

When I was younger, my mom and I volunteered with our church to work with the migrant workers. We would bring them food and drinks while they worked out in the fields. That was one of my favorite things to do with my mom. Whenever I see Goya Juice, I remember those trips when I was little.

Nos fuimos a Baja Mexico quando estaba en quinto grado. Nos construimos una escuela. Nos jugadamos futbol con los ninos. Nos bebimos Goya jugo. En primer lugar, se sentía extraña a beber lo que utilizamos para dar a lostrabajadores migrantes

 I finally realized that this juice resembled a lot more. It was something we gave to these people who worked hard every single day, they put their all into a job that no one else wanted to do. They actually worked for their money rather than sitting around getting paid for nothing like so many people do. To serve these people was an honor, I was proud to be doing this. I realized that I was like them when I was working on this school. I worked hard for this drink, I worked hard for this school for the kids. Everyone works for something different; the migrant workers so they may provide for their families, I was working to help kids in need, yet we were all united by something as simple as juice.

Jugo de Goya ha llegado a ser un símbolo del trabajo duro para mí. Me recuerda que tengo una gran vida con el lujo de muchas cosas. Tengo que aprovechar estas cosas y trabajan duro ir más lejos en la vida, al igual que los trabajadores migrantes.

Mola Stitching

The first time I ever saw mola work was in a friends house probably in kindergarten. Friends of ours are Panamanian and so they had the work hanging up around their house. On a family trip to Panama, I got to see lots more of it, as well as how its made and I got to see the many different patterns. 

Cada mola es diferente, hermosa y cuidadosamente planificado y realizado. Aunque algunos siguen el mismo patrón general, son todos únicos.

Molas are handstiched. They consist of one piece of fabric with the pattern stiched onto it being stiched onto another piece of fabric to hide the loose ends. This keeps them neat and beautiful. Mola can be hung on a wall, made into purses, bags, glasses cases, all sorts of unique items. Each one is beautiful and special. Mola patterns not only remind me of my childhood, but also remind me of this amazing trip that I was able to share with my family and the culture that I was able to learn more about. 

Obras de arte Mola es muy especial para mí porque es importante la preservación de la cultura en Panamá. Ir a los mercados pequeños y abuelas viendo, y sus hijos, sus nietos y todo el aprendizaje y el trabajo de este arte fue una experiencia realmente maravillosa.

Panama!

This is my family. My dad is in the back looking goofy in a hat, my mom is right next to him, my oldest brother on the other side of him and then my younger brother, sister, and myself. This was taken on a family trip to Panama and this day we were ziplining in the jungle.

Fuimos a Panamá para la Navidad. Esto fue tomado en el camino a la casa que estábamos viviendo en para la primera semana de vacaciones.

The house had  a private beach and the sunsets each night were spectacular. 

Hubo muchas artesanías interesante en la casa. Estas muñecas eran uno de muchas cosas bonitas hechas por el pueblo panameño

The pedestrian crossing signs were very funny!

Nos fuimos en un tour en barco a una isla de los monos. Fue muy aseado para ver un poco de la naturaleza en Panamá. La tierra es muy hermosa y los monos fueron muy amables.