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.