England Christmas

by Taide Citlalli García Garduño

The Christmas in England is one of the most important celebrations in the year. I researched that the first Christmas postcard was sending in 1840 and since 1840 every Christmas all the people send another people or their families a postcard. These postcards are making only for Christmas because theirs decoration is in order to celebrate the Christmas.   

The Christmas tree was very popular because the Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, inserted one into of the castle in 1840. Since 1840 Norway every Christmas presents to UK a big Christmas tree.

Also is very popular that the children present to their families or other people Christmas tales and sing Christmas carol. The Christmas carols also are singing for special groups in days before of the Christmas to the whole neighbours.

The children have a special tradition because they hang a big red sock on the fireplace, in order to Santa Clause fills with gifts and candies.

In the Christmas day many families give to their families gifts, and the families goes to church and pray.

In the Christmas dinner, the people frequently eat roast turkey, duck, or chicken with dressing and potatoes. In addition, there are pasties of meat and pudding. The pudding has to prepare weeks before of the Christmas dinner. In England there is a Christmas cake, this cake is makes with fruits, marzipan and glass sugar.

Other tradition are Christmas cookies; they were inventing in 1846 by a baker in London, these cookies are seeming to a big, large and bright candy, but into has a gift.

However, the most important tradition for the people in UK is the “Queen`s message” because is transmitting for television and radio. 

Thanksgiving Day

by Juan Manuel Hernández Vences

Thanksgiving Day is a celebration that most people of United States and Canada celebrate during the holidays. This celebration is each year, the exactly date is on the second Monday of October in Canada, and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. This celebration is a long tradition that people doing with their families. Most people say that when this celebration ends at the next day all things are very cheap in the malls, and the people start to shop for Christmas.

According to this story the principal reason to realize this action is to remember when the Indians helped immigrants who left England, and came to American soil and had a very difficult time. They had nothing to eat and the Indians helped them to not starve.

Actually the American families celebrate this day making family reunions, inviting all the friends and people that don´t have family. Together give thanks to god for all good days and the health all the year, also the people go at the store and buy a lot of things that they need to celebrate this action with the family and friends. The traditional menu is roast turkey, mashed potatoes, caramelized sweet potatoes, green beans and carrots glazed; the typical dessert is pumpkin pie or pecan nuts.

Many people think that this day of Thanksgiving is a wonderful celebration, which gives them a long weekend and enjoy a delicious dinner. Others may think that just the day of Thanksgiving is the beginning of Christmas celebrations. You can go United States of America and celebrate this day if have family there or if don’t have family is not important because you can celebrate this day in a restaurant or wherever you want. The important reason is to give thanks.

References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving 

Baker, James W. (2009). Thanksgiving: the biography of an American holiday. UPNE. pp. 273.

U.S.A INDEPENDENCE DAY

by Mónica (Moni) Gabriella Ortega Macedo

The U.S.A was formed by people who came from different countries, for example: The Netherlands,Sweden, Germany, France, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but the main country was England. They came because they wanted freedom; others left their country to escape the war.

The thirteen colonies developed on British traditions, but suddenly they realized that English people devalued the power of the king, and the Americans started to do the same. Americans claimed their rights. That was how the idea of independence started.

After Britain won a costly war with France, the thirteen colonies were asked to:

• ·       Provide food and lodging to the royal solders.
• ·       Americans weren’t allowed to have lands.
• ·       Pay the debt of the war.

After those acts the thirteen colonies were encouraged by the discourse of Samuel Adams and later by Geroge Washinton, to fought for the country’s independence.

After a time of fighting the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1776. U.S.A become a free nation with universal rights.

That was a little bit of the history of U.S.A independence. But how do the Americans celebrate this day?

The celebration starts one night before the fourth of July with bonfires and fireworks.

During the day, families get together to make a picnic with typical American food. The most common colors, blue, white and red. are used in clothes, balloons, and streamers.

Patriotic songs are listened as the national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner", "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", "My Country, 'Thais of Thee", "This Land Is Your Land", "Stars and Stripes Forever", all this songs remain the independence war.

Another important event, which takes place on Washington D.C at the middle of the day, is the traditional parade. It is full of balloons and streamers with the traditional colors. In the parade, perform famous bands from all around the country, this bands consists on musical instruments as drums and fifes. It is a wonderful and colorful show.

Another event that caught the eye of the spectators, are the giant balloons of Samuel Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson, which parade along the streets of the city.

I think the celebration of the fourth of July is very important for the American culture, because is the birthday of a free nation, and represents the effort of the people who fought to obtain the independence.

http://www.july4thparade.com/facts_history.html

http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/bbf/biblioteca.htm

CELEBRATION IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (INDEPENDENCE DAY 4 JULY)

by Giovanni Mejia Pedroza 

Independence Day in United States of America is the 4^th July in 1776 on day the country was separated from the British Empire. The hero was George Washington and he want be president.  Washington has a very big statue in a town that has his name.

Every year Americans celebrate this day with a lot of things. For example the big parade on the streets in memory of their heroes, each states traditionally celebrated with plays in their parks, various competitions, the most popular is to eat hot dogs, Who eats the most dogs is the winner, there is also racing and fireworks.

Also the people make representation of theirs heroes of the independence in some schools and in the tethers a lot of people stay with their family and make “barbecues” this are very popular here. 

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

The statue of liberty represent the “freedom." in 1886 France gave the statue to United States because United States was 10 years of independence,  because they had a good relationship. Was inaugurated on October 28^TH and the statue stay in New York, in the island of liberty together the river Hudson. Now the Statue of Liberty is a symbol representative of United States many people from other countries visit the statue because is one of the biggest attractions on the world.

When you visit the statue you can enter in this. The statue has inside stairs and you can climb it. When you arrive at the hand you can see the city of New York. You can also be in the crown and enjoy how beautiful is the city. 

The Big Ben

by Yoana (Onix) Escamilla Santoyo

This famous tower, best known as The Big Ben clock tower, is located in London. Investigators say that it was called because of its clock’s hour bell, the largest clock bell. The others are used as quarter bells, some others say that Benjamin was the name of the first commissioner of works and it was named in his honor.

The importance of this clock is the largest in Great-Britain and English people see it, as a symbol of London. Everybody trust completely on it, it has rarely failed during its long life, “rarely” because it is said that once, it stopped, this happened during the cleaning and maintenance of the clock, it did not work  about 6 weeks  but after that, it has not stopped .

Indeed, it is one of the first attractions in London, tourists go in there just to admire the structure of this tower, and however the interior of the tower is not opened to visitors.

The engineering of the clock is amazing, it is protected from the different changes of the hard weather and because of that it is so famous and reliable. The dials are beautiful, at the base of each clock dial, it’s an inscription on gilt letters is the Latin inscription: “Domine salvam fac reginam nostram victoriam primam” which means “Oh lord, keep safe our queen Victoria the first”.

The Big Ben is at the north end of the palace of Westminster and believe it or not, the clock you see nowadays it is not the first one.

Long time ago the old palace of Westminster was destroyed after a terrible event, it burnt  completely and  this happened during the kingdom of king Edward I , who after that invited an overall architects in a commission  to select the best to do the new parliament built it in a neo-gothic style.

The Big Ben is also part of the traditions in London, the sounds of its bells are always the entry of the New year. If you live in London you cannot miss it .I would like to go there one day and start a new year with the sound of the bells of The Big Ben.


References:
http://www.parliament.uk/bigben
Big Ben: The Great Clock and the Bells at the Palace of Westminster :By Chris McKay
Publisher:   Oxford University Press, USA Number Of Pages:   288 Publication Date:   2010-06-11 ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0199585695 ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780199585694

More PDF: http://pdfebooksfreedownload.com/2010/09/big-ben-the-great-clock-and-the-bells-at-the-palace-of-westminster.html#ixzz1x4ldaFLX

St Patrick´s Day: Green Everywhere

By Alejandra Fabela Martinez

Ireland is an island located in Europe. More than the ninety percent of the Irish are Catholic. The influence of the religion in topics like divorce, abortion, the control of birthrate and social topics is very important. The duration of this festival is five days.

The music and the dances are an important tradition of this country. Also there is a very important day “St Patrick´s day”. It´s a festival celebrated on March 17^th. Since 1903, this day was made a public and official day in Ireland; Nowadays St Patrick is the most famous saint in the entire world. For this day people have to wear green cloths and is very common to eat dishes with cabbage and Irish beverages.

St Patrick was a missioner and a preacher; he is considered the introductory of the religion to the island.

There are four principal components of this festival, the Leprechaun, the beer, the clover and St Patrick. Leprechaun is the goblin and is a typical character of the Irish mythology.

On March 17^th, people don´t eat meat, but the traditional dish is the corn beef, that is raw meat. Also the beer is the most popular beverage.

Bands of bagpipes are the most popular for the festival, Celt music is the official hymn of this party. Instruments like violin, Irish bagpipes, flutes tin whistle and the “bodhran” or drum. The traditional dance to accompanist the music is the Irish “step dance”; a unique dance with difficult leg movements while the body is static.

St Patrick’s Day is one of the most important traditions in Ireland, when Irish celebrated during five days full of green and beer, also the bagpipes and the step dance are protagonist of the party, but the mean reason of this party is to celebrate Saint Patrick and all the Catholics and no Catholics celebrated it.

It is not only for the religion. It is because this tradition with special characteristics of Irish people is a big part of their Culture and that things made Ireland unique, and different to other countries.

Sources:

http://eneuropa.about.com/od/FestivalesyFiestas/a/San-Patricio-En-Irlanda.htm

http://sobrehistoria.com/dia-de-san-patricio-una-historia-de-santos-y-duendes-i/

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%ADa_de_San_Patricio

Archaeological Zone in Calixtlahuaca.

By Angélica Arellano Galindo  


Calixtlahuaca is a Word Nahuatl its meaning is “Houses in the evennesses”, this is an archaeological place its ubication is in the mountain Tenismo near of city Toluca in the State of Mexico. The culture that built was meeting how Matlazincas.


1 - Circular pyramid or “Templo de Quetzalcóatl”.

This pyramid is the most popular in this place the Matlazincas built in honor God Quetzalcoatl it’s a big temple it was structure by four periods of construction. The circle is a perfect figure geometric does not have beginning and does not final, because is infinite, how the Gods, for this reason the matlazincas built the temple using circles like a scaffold.

In Calixtlahuaca the “Temple of Quetzalcoatl” is more famous than the others constructions in this town. Also the circular pyramid has some pyramids of less outstanding but that also are visited how the square or cemetery where found fifty deaths with offerings for example: gold, ceramic and winch and Base of column is a place where the Matlazincas practiced Ball Game is a big field with a hole and a circle rock that these inhabitants used for played this game.

2. - Festival del Quinto Sol.

The tourists visit this zone in March 21^stusualy they wear with white clothes because they think this day begin a new cycle of life and they want to star full of energy for to make your activities in all year and if they wear with white clothes can obtain more energy.

Each march 21^st  the inhabitants of Calixtlahuaca to realize the “Festival del Quinto Sol”, with motive of Spring Equinox. This day the people doing some activities the origin prehispanic also Ball Game.

The inhabitants of Calixtlahuaca to show dance natives, medicine, parties, sacrifices and The Traditional Ceremony of to light New Fire are the principal activities that people doing to keep the traditions of town to save, to ranson and to preserve owns customs.

For the people is very important to know the traditions and visit the pyramids because is an experience that they never forget.

• My visit in this place was nice because the inhabitants are polite, pacific and the town is more interesting.
• I don’t have word to describe and say that my visit was impressionable.
• This place has more things interesting that you have to know.

¡You should visit this place because is wonderful, you don’t repent is a experience It will very important in your life and it will be unforgettable¡

Help to preserve owns culture and owns traditions¡¡¡¡

Otomi Culture

BY:LAURA ESTRADA CARREÑO


The otomí culture originates from some Mexican towns but in this article I will talk in particular one.

Early twentieth century most of the inhabitants of this community is characterized by keeping the otomí Indian language, their customs, dress and traditions. Otomí people feel proud to wear their traditional clothes: the traditional clothes of women in the otomí group in the community of Temoaya  is a tangle of wool chincuete or blanket or very large and long like a skirt, black, blue, yellow, white with green lines, orange and yellow blouse and blanket or white poplin, short sleeve embroidered with flowers. It is characteristic of clothing quexquemetl otomí use cotton or wool in various colors and all clothing is adorned with floral decorations.

Handicraft production of otomí peoples refers to wool rugs which are made specifically for women mortars and mutates of black stone the wheat straw bags hats baskets and tule chairs piecesavates pottery and maguey fiber sashes tablecloths and napkins and hand- woven textiles made on blackstrap looms.

Otomí culture is very famous in Mexico especially in Temoaya because in this community is Otomí Ceremonial Center where the otomí people celebrate their gods and they organized some ceremonies. Inside of the Otomí Ceremonial Center there are some plazas, stairways, stylized sculptures, there is a museum with some arrows pottery sculptures found in the locality, there is also an a charro small offering in the rainy season one embodiment of the rodeo in the country only.

The feast of saints are framed in the catholic calendar and have at we saw a strong link with the cycles in an old agricultural tradition. The otomí celebrate the Santa Cruz to the virgins of Concepcion, Loreto, Asuncion and Guadalupe, San Pedro, San Miguel , San Juan, San Jaime and Santa Teresa among others mayordomias, schools boards, and groups of dancers are responsible for organizing and planning for all year celebration.

The otomí culture is famous too for their songs especially one called “tzi mare ku” this song is used at final of the wedding when the couple is dancing to say good bye their parent’s house. I present the lyrics song:

TZI MARE KU

Ya go mago tzi mare ku                       
Ya go mago tzi mbare ku                     
Ûna hjpa nghjeya do nthjewi ku Ûna hjpa nkhjeya to ûmûy wi ku

Ûna hjpa nhjeya to nzzengua wi          
Ûna hjpa nghjeya do tzí ma tsí             
Ûna hjpa nghjeya to ùingui ki         
Pohjki kja madí tzi mare ku                 
Ya go mago tzi mare ku                          
Ya go mago tzi mbare ku Tari shudi go nzzengua wi                   
Tari mani go nhjewi pi

Ma tzi ngande bi iñuhjti gui                
Go nzzengua ma khja-ûni, kjangu ki 
Go-ûthjo di nzzengua tzi mare ku       
Go-ûthjo di bini tzi mbare ku

Ya go mago tzi mare ku                   
Ya go mago tzi mbare ku                 
Ûna hjpa nkhjeya to ûmûy wi ku       
Ûna hjpa nkhjeya do nibi ku              
Kja go ma thjewi hri nkhjeya pà /
Hjantze nû tzi tada i pahj ya mà

Hjâ go mago tzi mare ku             
Hjâ go mago tzi mbare ku

Check back later for an English translation of the song.

DÍA DE LOS FIELES DIFUNTOS

by VIRIDIANA JUÁREZ MARÍN

Mexico is a country with a lot of culture and traditions, the beliefs of this people is so big respecting their gods, thus most of the important and popular holidays involve the religion. In this part I’m going to talk about the one of the most famous holiday that the people celebrate each year in each state from this country, this holiday is called “Día de los fieles difuntos”, however most of the people called it “day of the dead”, sometimes people who don´t know about this celebration think that is a ritual to venerate the dead like a black magic, but if we return to the history we can noticed that this festival come from the Indigenous Aztecas. They had customs where the people used to make some rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors, also this day was dedicated to the  "Lady of the Dead", although now the people called her “catrina”.  It was an object to venerate and worship for part of some families, the calpullis (high social class) or the complete nation it depends the society status that they stay. Those kind of rituals were too with the purposes of invoke for their crops, hunting and others for war.

Nowadays modern Indigenous’ conception about these traditions means the reunion with their friends and family members who have died. This celebration beginning on November 28, this day is especially for innocent people (babies, children and saints) who have passed away. The second day is on November 1, dedicated for rest of the people who died when they were adults; before to beginning this two days the people receive the dead’s spirits with some offerings like altars which contain food, photos of the person, fruit, candies, etc. It depends the things that the dead person liked when he was alive, the people also pray for the dead’s souls and put candles and petals of flowers as a road to show the spirits the way to come their house and coexist with their dear loved ones.

In those days we make an “ofrenda” in my house, so my grandmother cook the food that my grandfather liked for example “mole, tamales, fruit, cookies, etc. also we put some of the drinks that he used to drink like coffee, water and “pulque” (the final drink is an alcoholic beverage from Mexico), my grandmother used to put an extra food and drinks because she said that my grandfather would come with a friend.

The last they is on November 2,  is the date where the spirits back to the underworld, So the people used to go to the cemeteries to say good bye and to go along with the spirits also they garnish the tombs with different kinds of flowers especially with a flower named cempoaxochitl.

In my case my family and I go on November 2, in the morning to clean my grandfather’s tomb and sometimes to paint it; we decorate and change the flowers to make the tomb more colorful, after that in the cemetery the priest does a religious ceremony to be thankful with to the spirits for staying with us and for guiding them with god.

TRADITIONS OF MY TOWN

by Thalia Vázquez Serrano

The identity of Mexico started with the cultures. They built a city which they called Mesoamerica.  The place was the scene of empires located in central and southern Mexico. The ancient civilizations made houses from mud and bricks, were fishermen, built pyramids and used boats to transport goods.  They went to school and learned history, myths and religion, a new language.  Their most popular game was a ball game. They played music, danced, ate corn, avocados and chilli peppers. However, following the Spanish conquest, there were changes to their customs, religion, education, food, clothes, dresses. Gradually, they lost their traditions.  Spain was a dominant colonial power and exerted significant influence over the Mexican’s way of life.

Through of the time, Mexico have changed about the religion according with the Spanish conquest because the religion before was the base of mythical gods, to change, now the people believe in saints; was of influence of the Spanish together with the friars; actually Mexico is polytheistic, only a few are monotheistic, the most popular religion is the Catholicism.  Also according with the religion tradition arise day of the virgin of Guadalupe, day of the dead, day of all saint, Easter week, Las posadas, Christmas Eve.

In my village the people celebrate day Corpus Cristi, they ask for to god the send the rain the first Thursday of June, each year is shown by the people beginning this particular celebration, is very interesting this traditions because have a purpose, it is about a group of 6 people, only older, decide walking to the temple on this day of Corpus Cristi, to make prayer to GOD. They believed were not worthy to look at God face to face, then they to take a wood masks and maguey trunks. their clothes were the ordinary, sacks of ixtle, hallate and blanket, these 6 men meet, one representing the father and another the mother, and others the sons, forming a family, these prayed all day and all night. The principal characteristic is a bull represents evil and disease and the Old Corpus are going to fight it. The bull plays with them in the yard. When they are in the downtown Old Corpus start a tour around the square, they offering a dance and in exchange they receive a product, this is to give their alms and products obtained to Virgin of Guadalupe. If you walk around the downtown you can see all kinds of masks design. Some of my family participate in the celebration Corpus Cristi, is a tradition of Temascalcingo, land of the painter Jose Maria Velasco. The most popular international painter of Mexico for his paintings 

MEXICAN FOOD

by Tanhia Karen Garcia Gomez


Mexican food is perhaps one of the richest in the world, characterized by strong flavors, beans, meat, corn and of course much chili, was selected to be humanity’s cultural heritage. The history of Mexican cuisine has two main elements, the Indian and Spanish. The towns indigenous  who lived in the territory that until today has been know as Mexico basically ate vegetables, beans, corn and peppers, without forget  ingredients such as cocoa, avocado and cactus. Today almost all Mexican food recipes include in its preparing one or more of these ingredients.


To compensate the lack of protein the Indians brought up turkeys and a kind of dogs for food use, but also ate reptiles, fish and some insects, a tradition that still is practice. 


When the Spanish arrived at Mexico add other foods that contributed richness and variety to the fool and made it in what is actually, one of the main elements of this contribution is the pig, which is taken completely because each one of its parts are used for a specific recipe, including butter, it is preparing the food. 


Columbus also arrived with the meat and some cereals like wheat and rice that resulted in the bread, fruits and spices.


Mexican food has been around the world and is very difficult to find a city where there isn’t a restaurant dedicated to cook the traditional Mexican food. The most famous dish is the taco, it has many variants, it is a tortilla made from corn or wheat, on the tortilla add different ingredients like meat, chicken, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese  and many hot chili sauce. However, the list of dishes is endless, we find for example enchiladas, green and red mole, quesadillas, sopes, burritos, tamales, carnitas, among many others always accompanied with water fresh, beer or tequila.

Frida Kahlo and The two Fridas

                                       by Yoana Escamilla Santoyo 

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo Calderon(1907-1954)    best known as Frida Kahlo, was born  in Coyoacan . One of Mexico’s greatest artists, her life became part  of Mexico’s history.

To summarize her life I’ll do mention of some important facts. On her adolescence Kahlo contracted Polio at the age of 18th, then she suffered a very horrendous bus crashed and after this accident she started to paint to entertain herself because she was disable to continue with her studies of medicine as she wanted.

The first aspect to point out is that almost all her paints are self-portraits. “I paint self-portraits”-Frida Kahlo once said-“because I am the person who I know best , I paint my own reality the only thing  that I know  is  that I paint  because I need to.”

Her paintings reflect not only the changes of her face and feelings but also the advance in her life and according to some critics her paintings are surreal and to this , Kahlo answers on her diary “I never paint dreams or nightmares I paint my own reality”  love, sadness, pain, lost, surgery and most often the passion for her husband  the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera and to illustrate this point , I would like to do mention of the great paint  “The Two Fridas”.

It was painted after Diego and Frida’s divorced .The two Fridas sit next to each other holding her own hand. On the right side it is Frida who represents what Diego always wanted  his loved wife , dressed it  on  Mexican  cloths and her left hand holds a little portrait of Diego from which blood flows.

On the left side there is another Frida completely different , because this woman is dressed  with a white  dress and with a broken heart and instead of  Diego’s portrait  she holds  a pair of surgical pincers  which cut off the connection  between  Diego and Frida  representing their divorced and the drops of blood symbolize the pain she feels living without him.

This masterpiece and some others are located  at Museum of modern art  in Mexico city made in oil on canvas. I traveled to Mexico city recently just to admired this painting.When I arrived to the museum there was an advertisement  in which said  that some paintings where in an exhibition in L.A. including The two fridas , in that moment I felt really sad because it was the opportunity to see  the real painting of Frida Kahlo. I will be satisfied after see it.

As has been noted  this gorgeous work has transcended  over the time , and not only make us feel amazed with the colorful and  passion she reflects on her self-portraits but also “Using her own unique "folkloric" style of painting, Frida painted the diary of her life.” (Mike Brooks).

References:

Mike Brooks .”In Loving Memory of Frida Kahlo (1907 - 1954),” [enlínea]. August of 2005. Available on the website: http://www.fridakahlofans.com/index.html Enciclopedia Espasa,  vol.6 2003 Espasa Calpe S.A.