Posts Tagged ‘Spanish traditions’

The Camino de Santiago, an unforgettable adventure to learn Spanish (part 1)

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

The Camino de Santiago or Saint James’ Way is one of the most important Christian pilgrimage routes in Europe. Every year thousands of people come from all around the world with the aim to get to the city’s cathedral in Santiago de Compostela and to visit the apostle Santiago’s grave.

For many students who come to study Spanish in Spain, to undertake the Camino can be an adventure and an unforgettable experience. It is a way to learn a new language while discovering the nature, art and history, of a pilgrimage that has been carried out since the Middle Ages.

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

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Learn Spanish in Spain and celebrate the night of san juan

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

The night of San Juan is a very ancient festivity where the year’s shortest night is celebrated and the summer is welcomed in the north hemisphere. It takes place on the night of the 23rd to the 24th of June and is celebrated in many cities, so that if you are learning Spanish in Spain you can be part of this great night.

It is a celebration surrounded by legends, traditions and rituals carried out during a magical night where everything is about fire and water.

The celebration of night of San Juan on a Spanish beach

The celebration of night of San Juan on a Spanish beach

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Gastronomy in the Spanish schools: the mona de Pascua

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

With the Holy Week in Spain comes one of the typical products from the Spanish gastronomy for this time, the Mona de Pascua (Easter Cake). This sweet is very common in the Valencian Community and Catalonia, and its presence has been growing in many other cities over the last years, so, if you are undertaking a basic Spanish course in Spain you can buy it in many bakeries.

Its name comes from the arabic munna, which means “provision for the mouth”, and it is a present that the Moorish made to their masters. Nowadays, it symbolises the end of Lent and the Holy Week.

The mona de Pascua is a dish to eat Spanish students

Traditional Mona de Pascua

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Culture of Spain for Spanish classes: The flamenco, a feeling converted into art

Friday, February 17th, 2012

The flamenco is the most famous Spanish music style in the world. It is a mixture of music and dance that became art, a way of expressing feelings and passion through dance and singing. Its international recognition is so important it was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco in 2010.

The flamenco genere was born in the XVIIIth century in Andalusia and, years passing by, it changed until becoming something unique, a show that any person coming to Spain for idiomatic tourism should not miss.

Flamenco, a common activity in the Spanish schools

A flamenco show

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El Ratoncito Pérez (tooth fairy), the tale of a rodent with Spanish background

Monday, January 30th, 2012

He was born almost 120 years ago, but the story of the Ratoncito Pérez, this small rodent that was leaving presents and coins for the children who lost a tooth and let it underneath their pillow at night, is still alive today for the little ones.

This character was created by the writer and Spanish journalist Luis Coloma in1894 inhis children’s book for Alfonso XIII when he was 8 years old, because one of his teeth fell out. The writer then invented the story of a small mouse who showed to the king Budi (stage name for Alfonso XIII) the misery in which the poor children from Madrid where living, and who he was giving a present to when their teeth fell out. We recommend you read this fairytale if you are learning Spanish at a basic level.

Doodle of Ratoncito Pérez de Google

Doodle of Ratoncito Pérez de Google

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The toros (bulls), a great Spanish tradition

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

The toros is one of the most popular and ancient shows in Spain, and one of our country’s most famous traditions in the world. It started in the XVIIIth century, involving a man on foot who has to lidiar (battle) a fighting bull in a precinct called Plaza de toros. It is one of the events you cannot miss if you are undertaking a Spanish course in Spain.

The corrida is divided in three distinct stages or thirds. The first part, or lancing stage, involves the lidia of the bull with the objective to check the animal’s strength and behaviour. This is when the cape’s good luck is put to test, the most famous techniques are the verónica, the chicuelina or the porte gayola.

The toros, spanish tradition

A torero performing a veronica

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Spanish schools and gastronomy: The roscón de Reyes

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Some days ago we were talking to you about the turrón , the typical sweet for Christmas in Spain, we will now do the same with another traditional sweet from the Spanish gastronomy for Christmas, the roscón de Reyes, one of the products that have to be on the table when you stay in Spain to learn Spanish.

As its name states, this sweet is typically eaten on the 6th of January, day of the Reyes Magos, but it is more and more usual to have it during all festivities, always with a cup of hot chocolate. You should definitely not miss out on this mixture if you are learning Spanish in Spain.

Learn Spanish in Spain and enjoy the roscón de Reyes

Roscón de Reyes

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Culture of Spain for Spanish classes: The Reyes Magos(the Three Wise Men) arrive to Spain

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

On the 6th of January we celebrate one of the important Spanish traditions for children, Epiphany or the día de los Reyes Magos. The little ones, and sometimes less little ones, receive the presents or charcoal on that day, charcoal if they behaved badly, which they previously ordered in a letter.

Even though the figure of Father Christmas becomes more important in our country, the Reyes Magos day is still more important and every year it is customary to organise a series of related events for the festivity, the most outstanding one is the Cabalgata de Reyes which takes place on the 5th of January and is celebrated in all Spanish villages and cities. The cabalgata is a parade with the Reyes Magos mounted on horses, camels or sitting in carriages, and covering the city’s streets throwing sweets and balls to the children who stand on the pavement, this is therefore a very good opportunity to enjoy one of our traditions with your classmates from the Spanish course in Spain.

A Spanish course may be a good gift of Kings

Picture of the Three Kings Parade of Alcoy

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Live the beginning of 2012 and learn Spanish in Spain

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Twelve strokes, twelve grapes and a lot of joy, this is how you welcome the new year in Spain. Less than a week is left before we leave 2011 behind and start 2012, the celebration is very stylish in Spain, so if you are undertaking Spanish classes in a Spanish city, you should get ready to enjoy this big night.

It is a tradition to eat 12 grapes in Spain, one for each month, at the sound of every stroke that sounds at midnight on the 31st of December. It is common to celebrate this moment on the town house square or some other central square in the city, the most famous New Year’s Eve in Spain is the one celebrated in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, an ideal destination to go to and spend a night if you are undertaking Spanish classes in Spain.

Enjoy the end of the year and attend classes in Spanish in Spain

Puerta del Sol in Madrid

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Spanish schools and gastronomy: The turrón, the Christmas sweet

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Polvorones, mazapanes, mantecados, peladillas…many typical sweets for Christmas, but only one stands out, the turrón. It is one of the sweets from the Spanish gastronomy that is never missing in a house around these dates and all Spanish students staying in Spain to learn Spanish have probably already tried it.

This food is made from almond and honey, a mixture that was already used by the Arabs in the ancient Al-Andalus. Nevertheless, the turrón as we know it now started to be made in the XV century in Jijona, a town near the city of Alicante. The two most famous turrones in Spainare made there, the Turrón de Jijona (soft, the almonds are ground to form a dough) and the Turrón de Alicante (hard, it has whole almonds). If you are staying in our country to learn Spanish in Alicante, you cannot miss out on trying some of these turrones.

Learn Spanish in Spain and enjoy the turrón

Turrón de Alicante y Turrón de Jijona

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Christmas lives in Spain and learn Spanish in an intensive course

Friday, December 16th, 2011

The colourful lights light the streets, snow covers the mountains, shops fill with people… they are obvious signs that show Christmas is here. This time of year is one of the most waited for for many people, and they make most of it travelling, visiting family and friends or, why not, undertaking an intensive Spanish course in Spain.

Our country is an ideal destination to spend holidays while studying Spanish, as there is a variety of activities and traditions you can combine with your learning time. To walk in the town centre and see its decorated streets, to buy the Christmas presents, to watch the live nativity scenes or skate on the ice tracks of the city, these are most things an intensive Spanish course student can do in Spain.

Christmas, one of the best times to study Spanish

City Council of Valencia at Christmas

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Spanish schools and free time: The commercial opening times

Friday, November 11th, 2011

Spanish’ opening times are different from most of Europe, it is therefore very important that students coming to study in a Spanish school in Spain know about it.

One of the main differences between Spaniards and the rest of the world is the usual timetable, people’s daily lives. InSpainit is customary to get up and go to sleep later than in the rest ofEurope, the same goes for lunch and dinner, which are usually not as early. In our country we usually have lunch between 2 and 4pm, and have dinner between 9 and 11pm.

Commercial opening hours for students of Spanish in Spain

Opening hours of a business

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Traditions in Spain for Spanish classes: The tip in Spain

Friday, October 7th, 2011

In today’s post we are going to talk about a subject that is always problematic for foreign students coming to learn Spanish in Spain, the tip. This habit is very usual in many countries, it is even compulsory in some (even though there is no written law for it), but it is not like that in our country.

In Spain, leaving a tip is considered as a reward for excellent service from the waiters and for the quality of the product, but it is never compulsory and always is a personal choice. So, if you are undertaking a Spanish course in Spain, you do not have to feel any pressure or feel bad if you don’t leave a tip, as this is your personal decision to reward or not for the good or bad service.

A plate with tip

A plate with tip

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Traditions in Spain for Spanish classes: The siesta, a habit to learn

Friday, September 30th, 2011

If a student takes something away from his stay to learn Spanish in Spain it is the siesta. This habit is popular and loved within our country and by foreigners who visit the peninsula and is ideal to have a moment of relaxation after food or before going to your lectures in the Spanish school.

This habit, named only in Spanish, is practised not only in Spain but in many countries such as Germany, Austria or France. Many businesses in United States and Japan have even introduced a short time in their employees’ working days for them to practice this habit as it increases performance.

Two students napping

Two students napping

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Learn Spanish and discover the culture: The snack

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Spain is a country with many traditions, from which we highlight one, the aperitivo. The Royal Spanish Academy defines it as the drink and food taken before a main meal and that opens the appetite, an acceptable definition but one that does not explain its meaning.

The aperitivo is more than just a drink and something to eat. It is a way to get together with friends, as a couple or with family before the meal and have a chat, to have a laugh and have a good time, leaving problems and the week’s stress aside for a moment. Also, for students undertaking a Spanish course in Spain it is a way to learn Spanish outside the classroom.

Typical snack in Spain

Typical snack in Spain

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