Beloved Christmas tradition returns to the Hispanic Cultural Center

This weekend’s Posada 2017 celebration reignited a beloved Christmas tradition and kicked off what staff hope is a new era at the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho.
                                           

Not even the Treasure Valley’s first snow of the Christmas season could keep away the nearly 300 local children and families who came to celebrate the traditional Hispanic Christmas event and holiday. Both Hispanic and non-Hispanic families from around the Treasure Valley gathered to watch the Christmas skit, or pastorela, listen to the choirs, destroy several piñatas and eat their fill of tamales, champurrado and Mexican sweet bread.

Las Posadas is a religious and cultural holiday commemorating the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph to find a room at the inn, or “posada.”

Humberto Fuentes, the president and CEO of the cultural center, said although the center hosted posada celebrations a few years ago, this was its first celebration on a larger, multicultural scale.

Though Las Posadas is traditionally celebrated over a nine-day period, there was just one “posada” celebration in Nampa on Dec. 16.

But with the success of this year’s single-night event, event promoter Antonio Rebolledo hopes the center will be able to expand its celebration in the future and host the traditionally Mexican version of the holiday, with a different family, business or church hosting the party each night from Dec. 16-24.

Children’s choirs from St. Paul’s Catholic School and Grace Episcopal Church in Nampa performed throughout the night, singing traditional Christmas songs and carols in both English and Spanish.

Carla Wibel, the choir director at St. Paul’s Catholic School, said their choir was invited to participate after one of the cultural center staff members heard the children sing during Mass one Sunday. Wibel said the children were excited to dress up in their Christmas pageant costumes and perform for a new audience.

How to Restore Christianity to Spain and the West

Traveling to Spain is on the bucket list for many people, whether it be for vacation, study abroad, cultural excursion or pilgrimage. It’s been one of the daughters of the Church until about 1925 when the Civil War broke out and persecution on the Catholic Church began, leaving the faith broken and the Church struggling.
                                               

Spain is a country of religious contradiction. It is the birthplace of St. Teresa of Ávila and St. Josemaría Escrivá, yet has fewer than 20 percent of Catholics attending Mass regularly. Despite this, the Holy Spirit has retained a vestige of faithful which supports international pilgrims who regularly come to Spain to walk the Camino Del Santiago.

Public opinion inside the Church

We are habitually hounded with public opinion that questions the Church, but how does the public opinion inside the Church affect the breakdown of the faith?  Norberto González Gaitano, professor of Public Opinion at Santa Croce University in Rome, elaborates in his article, Public Opinion in the Church: A communicative and ecclesiological reflection, that “internal discussions and indoor Church affairs are inexorably linked to the shaping of public opinion regarding the Church.” 

Lack of a personal faith encounter

Spain’s strong dominant stereotype of being a free-spirited culture is clear, as seen in Catalonia’s fight for independence from Spain, where the Independence Movement is strongly anti-Spanish and anti-Christian. However, Fr. Julián Lozano López, Director of Mass Communications in the Diocese of Getafe, Spain, believes it is the same crisis of faith that is affecting nominally Christian nations worldwide. “The experience of faith has decreased enormously [in Western culture],” he says.

Spanish and Moroccan Sufi Musicians Turn Fes Garden into ‘Paradise’

Percussion instruments, a guitar, cello, a flute and the mesmerizing voice of the Moroccan Rmiki merged seamlessly, putting on a vibrant performance at one of the most spiritual festivals in Morocco.
                                               

Enchanted with the smell of eucalyptus trees, the voices of the Sufi virtuosos, and the deeply spiritual performance, the spectator stood in awe before the show, which brought the Sufi way into life.

Founded in 2012, Al-Firdaus Ensemble, led by British Sufi singer Ali Keeler, performed original Sufi songs in Spanish, in remembrance of God and in thanks to the Prophet Mohammed.

The name of the group refers to the highest part of paradise, “Al Firdaus,” reflecting the intercultural nature of the ensemble, formed by musicians from different cultures and countries, including Spain, Morocco, and the United Kingdom.

As they were playing the Sufi tradition of “samaa” music, or “the art of listening,” the musicians open their hearts to “to receive the inspiration of the moment and thus raising the public to a state of contemplation,” said the group in its biography page.

When the music of Al Firdaus Enemble fused with that of Rmiki, the audience were transcended to an even higher state of contemplation.

The awe inspiring Moroccan singer Ihsan Rmiki stood out in many ways. She is one of the few women who holds the title of shaykh and authority to conduct a ritualized concert of samaa sacred music.

Since its creation in 2007, the festival has highlighted the mystical ways of Sufism, as it is “one of the richest [pieces of] Islamic heritage. It is the most diverse and the deepest tradition through centuries of history, cultures, and languages,” said the president.

Students celebrate, learn about Hispanic culture

MOORESBURG — Christmas Eve is a big celebration in Honduras with lots of firecrackers sounding and dancing, Gladys Seymour told Spanish students at Liberty-Valley Intermediate School.
                                               

Speaking to Tina Bartholomew’s fifth-grade class, she said Christmas, or La Navidad, remains her favorite time of year.

After moving to the United States on Christmas Eve, she said it was very hard. She and her husband arrived that evening at the home of her brother-in-law and his wife, ate dinner and went to bed. “Christmas Eve is the best day of the year. There were no firecrackers. The next morning, it was a big thing here,” she said of Christmas.

She said their four children, who are students in the Danville district, love to spend Christmas Eve in Honduras. “They all understand Spanish,” Bartholomew said of her children.

Seymour said she was 29 when she and her husband moved to the U.S. They first lived in North Carolina, then Florida and later Louisiana before her husband’s job brought them to the Danville area four years ago.

She said she never saw snow growing up so they would put cotton on Christmas trees to represent snow.

Sometimes it gets to be 70 to 80 degrees In Honduras, adding that was considered cold for her native country. People wear boots and hats, she said.

Bartholomew told the students it is wonderful for them to be able to compare the culture of Honduras with that of the U.S.

Hispanic Heritage Month will be celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. The date of Sept. 15 marks when most Central American countries became free, she said.

Bartholomew said Spanish clubs have been formed for third, fourth and fifth grades at Liberty-Valley and for second-graders at the Danville Primary School. They meet before classes begin.

Several unwritten rules of living in a Spanish village

In small towns, some things work a little differently, including customs and social norms. Indeed, Spanish villages have their own code of unwritten laws that are usually strictly adhered to. There are no fines or punishments for breaking these rules; they are honored because they have always been in place. They are like part of the scenery.
                                       

ARTICLE 1 – Movement and transportation

Parking is prohibited in places where people hang out outdoors. There is an imaginary yellow line in places where neighbors set up chairs at nightfall to enjoy the fresh air. There are no fines for parking in this spot, but be prepared for the consequences if you provoke a mass migration of villagers with foldable chairs.

ARTICLE 2 - People and commerce

You must be able to locate all neighbors in an extended kinship system. If someone is about to tell you a story about “Juan, the son of El Mochuelo,” before they can continue, you must immediately interject: “Yes, he married Isabela, from the fruit shop.” If you don’t do this, the conversation will not flow properly. Only with this added comment can the other person continue with what they were originally going to tell you about Juan, the son of El Mochuelo. Or they can chose to add something else about Isabela from the fruit shop, maybe that “her sister is Virginia, from the Neighbors Association.” Perhaps you won’t even get to the original story about Juan. It doesn’t really matter.

You have to say hello. Not to everyone. But to almost everyone. And a simple ¿Que tal? (“What’s up?”) is not enough. You have to say how you’re doing, in addition to talking about your entire family.

The elderly can always criticize your appearance. And you don’t have the right to respond. Someone has to warn you if you’re wearing shorts that are too long or pants that are too short…or a shirt that looks like a shower curtain.

Celebrating Spanish Culture Month

Over 50 silver and pottery plates made by late Spanish artist Pablo Picasso are being exhibited at the Millennium Monument of China from July 13 to August 31 to celebrate Spanish Culture Month in China, as well as the National Culture and Art Month.
                                               

One of the most creative and influential Western artists, Picasso was famous for creating diverse works in different mediums. In addition to his paintings, he also created a large amount of sculptures, engravings and pottery works during his later years.

Visitors to the exhibit will be able to view 23 silver plates, 20 pottery plates, two ceramic engravings and six ceramic plates featuring Picasso's signature.

The exhibition also includes contemporary art works from young Spanish artists, Gerado, Alex Santafe, Sergio Fernandez, Sabel Jurado Cabanes, Rafael Aguilera Baena and Cristobal Ortega. These artists show off the power of visual art through various means. For example, architect Gerado created a 3D printed artwork that combines drawing and the art of traditional Chinese paper cutting.

The exhibition, held with the support from the Spanish Embassy in Beijing, aims to promote cultural communication between China and Spain.

Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” insults Spanish language and Hispanic culture

When I first listened to “Despacito” last month, I was ecstatic Justin Bieber released a new song. It was catchy, it was fun and it had that summer vibe perfect for my long days at the pool. Little did I know that it wasn’t his song. In fact, it wasn’t even a new song. The original version, sung by Puerto Rican pop star Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, was released in January. The remixed version, featuring Bieber, surfaced two months ago.
                                     

Today, the No. 1 song in the United States is “Despacito” — with the Bieber feature, of course. Although deserving of its coveted perch on the top of the charts, it’s not free from the cultural appropriation almost expected from a very popular and very white pop star like Bieber.

This cultural appropriation is most evident in a recent video of our beloved Bieber butchering a performance of “Despacito” at a nightclub. In the video, which went viral on Twitter, Bieber replaces the song’s lyrics with “Despacito, I don’t know the words so I say pocito, I don’t know the words so I say Dorito.”

These statements highlight both the cultural appropriation of Bieber’s nightclub performance and the white privilege he has to disrespect Latino culture. Bieber’s performance reveals that, for him, the Spanish language is one to make exotic. He disrespects the language and the cultures that use it, and his upsetting performance — drunk or not — tells Spanish speakers that a white man can strut in and take over the show without appreciating the language’s roots.

There are countless videos of white people yelling at Latino individuals to speak English or go back to their native countries. There are rules enforced in workplaces that discourage native languages from being spoken at all. My dad is not permitted to speak Tagalog with his Filipino coworkers during lunch hour because others feel threatened or disrespected. My Venezuelan best friend was once kicked out of a classroom because speaking Spanish was a disturbance.

Top Food, Wine and Culture Travel Tips in Spain

Culinary travelers can find a variety of both new and popular experiences throughout Spain, from Madrid to Barcelona and even in lesser known regions.

Specializing in food and wine tours throughout Europe, parts of Asia, Morocco and Greece, The International Kitchen, is a boutique tour travel operator that has focused on culinary travel for the past 23 years. The company recently introduced its “A Capital Culinary Adventure in Madrid” itinerary. The new program was created by company vice president Peg Kern, who spoke with us about why the new program is ideal for a range of travelers with different interests, not just gastronomy.

“Madrid is one of Europe’s great capitals, which means it has a more cosmopolitan feel and international influences than many other cities in Spain,” said Kern. “That being said, it is still quintessentially Spanish in its culture and flavors, making it a real city of paradox and complexity. For example, you can explore not only the urban tradition of the "tapeo" (going bar to bar to taste different tapas dishes) but can venture out into the Madrid countryside to taste such local specialties as Castillian soup and suckling pig. It’s a wonderfully unique way to experience this fascinating city.”

Culinary experiences include a luncheon at Mesόn de Cándido, the only surviving public house alongside Segovia's 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, known for its roast suckling pig and unique method of carving the meat. Guests will also have the opportunity to try the regional specialty of Cόrdoba, “salmorejo y flamenquín”, at one of the restaurants near La Mezquita. While in Seville, travelers will participate in a private Paella-making class and lunch where guests will learn how to make the saffron rice dish, which melds both Moorish and Spanish culinary traditions. Also, during a stop in Marbella there is an opportunity for adults to learn the art of blending sangria under the direction of an expert mixologist, while younger travelers can participate by creating their own nonalcoholic concoctions. Throughout the trip there are several opportunities for guests to sample tapas and regional dishes at various restaurants depending on the location, and Disney Adventure Guides can offer suggestions for which ever style of dining fits each specific family or group of travelers.

Who wants to study Spanish in Philadelphia?

The Hispanic immigrant community has played a fundamental role in the growth of the city in the last decade. In the streets it is more and more common to hear conversations held in Spanish. However, it seems that this important trend is not reflected in universities. Why? A general crisis in the study of the humanities would be the answer. AL DÍA News spoke with professors from three of the most prominent universities in the city.
                                 

The Hispanic population of the United States remains one of the most important communities in the country’s economy, culture and politics. That weight -of about 57 million people- exerts an important influence in several aspects of the national daily life. For example the use of Spanish as an official second language in many American cities accounts for its political recognition.

Focus on "heritage speakers"
In the United States, Spanish can be learned as a secondary language for two or three years in high school. However, the level acquired is not enough to communicate fluently, not even for the so-called "heritage speakers": Latinos of second or third generation, who speak Spanish at home, but who in many cases don’t know how to read or write, or do so with difficulty.

U.S. Universities: a tradition for Hispanic Studies
Nagy-Zekmi arrived in the United States in 1981 after completing his doctorate in Latin American literature at the University of Budapest. "The United States offered better options to continue with a  post-doc," says the Hungarian expert, who after working a long season at SUNY University in Albany, New York, joined Villanova in 2003. In recent years, Nagy -Zekmi explains that her department has noticed a smaller presence of Latin American students. Instead, the presence of Spanish students has grown, those who come to the United States attracted by the possibility of taking a doctorate and collecting a salary at the same time, something increasingly complicated in Europe. This is the case of Mercedes Cebrián (link is external), a writer and journalist from Madrid, who came to Philadelphia to finish her doctorate in Hispanic Studies at Penn University between 2013 and 2015.

The Culture of Symbols and the Realities of Culture

On Feb. 16, I traveled to Santiago de Cuba with a colleague, Arnold August, to pay homage  to Jose Marti and Fidel Castro at their respective tombs. August is a good friend of Cuba who has written books and articles about its revolutionary experience, basing them on his direct knowledge of on-the-ground realities. He had come as part of the Quebec delegation, a component of the Canadian delegation, to the Havana International Book Fair, this year dedicated to his own country. Among his personal contributions to the event was a speech — “Fidel Castro, Political Power, and the New Culture of Communication,” later published on Cubadebate in Spanish and English — that he gave at a symposium on the leader of the Revolution.

The plane took off for Holguin and the standard announcements came over the loudspeakers — in English only, even though the passengers were of various nationalities and quite a few were Spanish speakers, including some Cubans living in Cuba. Later on in the flight, I asked the friendly attendant how this could be, given that we were traveling on a domestic flight operated by Cuba and had bought our tickets directly from Cubana de Aviacion. She went into a long, involved explanation about how the plane is not Cuban, it is leased from Italy but operated by I forget which Cuban agency, the chief steward is Italian ... She neglected to mention the fact that Boeing is an American multinational, or to speculate as to whether that might have something to do with Cubana’s English-only announcements.

We ultimately did get a flight out, but our Canadian friend and others who had booked the charter were not offered compensation for being shunted into a significantly lower-priced class of service. “Cubana does not pay compensation,” is basically what we were told. Such a message attests to a deficiency in the way we operate as a nation, one that will have to be corrected — organically, as in the case of people who suffer accidents due to the poor condition of the streets and sidewalks — if we are to create the country we desire, need, and must have: a country of sustainable and ethical prosperity.

BC Spanish language, literature and culture in Spain

Benedictine College is offering a study opportunity this summer. The Spanish language, literature and culture summer program at University of Valladolid in Valladolid, Spain is taking place May 25 through June 21 (or June 28, students taking 8 credits).
             

Generally, the classes run Monday through Friday, with intensive language instruction in the morning and early afternoon. On the weekends, students can travel and explore the surroundings and do a lot of activities.

“Have an open mind and just enjoy all the beauty there is around you,” said Kristina Pikula, senior who went to study abroad in Spain.

“Different between U.S. and Spain is how people greet each other, we say ‘nice to meet you’ and shake hands, however in Spain, they say ‘Hola’ and kiss each other’s cheeks. It was weird to me,” Pikula said.

Pikula became an IROC member using that experience and wanted to help international students like her host family in Spain did for her.

In the program, students are going to stay with Spanish families, which, in addition to increasing their chances to be in contact with the foreign language, will help the “uncomfortable” situation.

Carlota Santana feels that a woman can be both feminine and tough.
The same is true about flamenco dance, the artist said.
This is why the native New Yorker said she was drawn to the dance form, which has its roots in southern Spain and will soon be shared by Santana with audiences in Greeneville.

The Niswonger Performing Arts Center will host performances by Santana’s dance company, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, Tuesday.
A 10 a.m. performance will be held for area school children in grades K through 5. An evening show for the public will begin at 7 p.m.
In a recent telephone interview with The Greeneville Sun, Santana explained that flamenco dance has influences from many cultures — including the Spanish, the Arabic and the culture of the gypsies who came to southern Spain from the country of India.

Spanish American Club celebrates Christmas with party in Port St. Lucie

Members and supporters of The Spanish American Club gathered Dec. 17 to celebrate the club's last event of the year at the Sons of Italy Lodge 2594 in Port St. Lucie.
         

During a break, D. J. José Ramírez played a Happy Birthday song to the members that were celebrating their birthday on December. Among the birthday members that were present were: Luz Pinilla, Nestor Pereira, Elizabeth Mejia, Gloria Ramirez, Gustavo Santa, Virginia Feliciano, Nilda Betancourt and Mary Figliola.

Fallowing the birthday celebration the members and their guests enjoyed a delicious buffet catered by Mandi’s Café and Catering. The meal consisted of pork, ham, chicken, mix veggies, dessert and coffee.

There were door prizes and 50/50 raffles to top off the event. Door prize winners were Yolanda Torres, Galud Segura, Ivonne Bonet, Sonia Echevarria, Sandy Coughlin, Carmen Santoni, Ana Rodriguez, Billy Betancourt, Cookie Santiago, Vicky Rodriguez and Luz Pinilla. 50/50 winners were Mirta Zapata, Hector Peña and Xiomara Guanill.

The Dinner Dance Gala was planned by the board of directors of the club chaired by Carlos Bonet, president; Nancy Rozon, vice president; Al Feliciano, secretary; Ruben Aleman, treasurer; Ray Guadalupe, public relations; Luis Carrillo, director; and Melissa Sanchez, substitute.

A big "Thank You" to the board who worked very hard to make the last annual event of the year a big success. Many thanks to the members who helped with the decorations and setups. Finally, thanks to the members that donated the Christmas toys and the door prizes.

The nonprofit organization's mission is to preserve the Hispanic heritage on the Treasure Coast. The club continued a 24-year tradition by distributing food baskets to underprivileged families for Thanksgiving and donating holiday gift bags to needy children in the area.

The members meet once a month to socialize, dine and dance. Some members and their guests play golf on Wednesdays at The Saints at 10 a.m. and on Mondays they bowl at the St. Lucie Lanes at 6 p.m.