Oktoberfest is celebrated annually in the city of Munich, Bavaria and generally takes place over the last 2 weeks of September and into the first weekend in October to take advantage of favorable weather. It is the world’s largest fair attracting around 5 million visitors every year!
Read more
The tango is an evocative dance that has its origins in 19th century Argentina. It developed on the riverside, or ribera, of the Riachuelo River in Buenos Aires in the early 1880s. At the time, Buenos Aires was a city in expansion due to large numbers of immigrants coming from Europe in search of work. The majority of the new immigrants were single men, largely sailors and artisans by profession. To mitigate their loneliness many frequented brothels or burdeles with live music for entertainment. As the atmosphere was somewhat melancholy, undertones of longing, loss and separation are present in the music. The dance that developed is a slower, more intense and restrained version of the milonga, a dance that had previously been popular in the same circles, and features very intricate footwork and partnering.
Read more
When a girl turns fifteen years old in many parts of Latin America her family throws her a special birthday party. Both the girl and the party may be referred to la quinceañera. This term comes from the number fifteen in Spanish which is quince. This age traditionally signified when a girl turned into a young woman. The closest equivalent in North American culture would be a debutantes ball.
Read more
Part of learning a new language is also learning the culture that surrounds it. Here we will focus on German cultural norms surrounding meeting, greeting and addressing people in various situations. Keep in mind that the following are generalizations and there are always exceptions to the rule.
Read moreCowboys of Argentina and Uruguay are called gauchos in Spanish. These are men that live and work their whole lives on the open plains, or pampas, of South America. They have for many generations represented the liberty and romance of this harsh landscape. Although there are not as many of them as in the past they are still viewed as a strong national emblem of their respective countries.
Read more
Flamenco is a dance that originated in the south of Spain in the region of Andalucía in the 18th-century. This area of Spain has been heavily influenced by Arabic culture as Arab people were in power here from 711 until 1492. Flamenco also has roots in the gitano or Roma (gypsy) culture.
Read more
