Hispanic Culture
El Dia de los Muertes or Day of the Dead
This holiday involves bringing food to the graveyard and placing
the food on the graves. This holiday is similar to Halloween. This
holiday is celebrated on November 2.
La Virgen de Guadalupe
On this holiday an Indio boy had a vision of the Virgin Mary in
which she asked for the people to honor her. This holiday is
celebrated on December 12.
Las Posadas
During this holiday people travel from house to house singing and
asking for shelter for Mary and Joseph. They are finally acepted for
shelter at the "stable" where they celebrate. This holiday is
celebrated December 16 until Christmas.
La Noche Buena or Holy Night
This holiday commemorates the high point of the Christmas season.
Instead of a Christmas tree Hispanic families use a nativity scene.
This holiday is celebrated on December 24.
Cinco de Mayo
This holiday commemorates the end of the French Intervention in
Mexico in 1862. This holiday is celebrated on May 5.
El Dia de Independencia
This holiday signifies the Mexican Independance from Spain in
1810. This holiday is celebrated on September 15. On this day the
the Mexican President gives the cry of independance, or the grito de
independencia.
El Dia de la Raza
This holiday commemorates the blending of the native people with
the Spaniards which formed a new race of people. This holiday is
celebrated on October 2 in Mexico, in the U.S. on October 12.
Family
In a tipical Hispanic family the grandparents live with thier
children, as well as thier grandchildren. Children are very polite to
their elders, and have much respect for them.
Music
There are many Hispanic stars in the pop music industry. Artists,
such as Gloria Estefan, have enormous appeal to both Spanish and
American audiences. There are also other singers who haven't
become big yet in the United States. These artists are Luis Miguel,
Marc Antony, Juan Gabriel, and Fernandez. The rock groups like
Shakira, Marc Antony, King Chango, and Jaguares are selling
records and gradually becoming big in the United States.
Spanish-language stars began being booked in the US in the
1990's by places like Radio City Music Hall. 95 percent of these
shows sold out. In 1996 there were more Hispanics in the United
States than Canadians in Canada.
Movies
There are many movies that show hispanic culture. Five major
movies airing in the United States with hispanic themes are A Walk in
the Clouds, The Perez Family, Roosters, My Family, and Desperado.
Before these movies, there were not many films that showed hispanic
culture. In 1981 there was a movie called Zoot Suit, in 1987 La
Bamba and Born in East L.A., Stand and Deliver came out in 1988,
in 1992 American Me was released, and in 1994 Mi Vida Loca aired.
Not many of these Hispanic films had Hispanic directors, but A
Walk in the Clouds did. The director, Alfonzo Arau said that he
wanted to direct this movie because he wanted break the sterotype
Americans have established for Hispanics.
Art
Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in Malaga,
Spain. Picasso paintd many great things but that's not all he did. He
made scluptures, ceramics, and other art forms. Picasso's blue
period started in 1901-1904. His blue period gave a feeling of
sadness and alienation to the people he painted. The rose period
gave the paintings a optimistic and warmer mood. Later he started
making collages. In the 1920's Picasso began painting flat cubism
pictures. One of his masterpieces is called Guernica which depicted
the bombing of the town Guernica during the Spanish civil war.
Picasso died in Paris in 1973.
My List of Links
|
Hispanic Food: find out delicious hispanic recipies Hispanic History: learn interesting facts about hispanic history Hispanic Literature: read a summary of some interesting hispanic stories |