Cultural Competency Assessment

Cortés

A Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century. His generation began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Arriving on the continent, he executed a successful strategy of allying with some indigenous people against others. He also used a native woman, Doña Marina, as an interpreter; she would later give birth to his first son. He was awarded with leadership after he overthrew the Aztec Empire,

Canary Islands

A Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, are rugged volcanic isles known for their black- and white-sand beaches

Spain

Capital- Madrid Exports- Machinery, motor vehicles, medicines Currency- Euro Español

Equatorial Guinea

Capital- Malabo Exports- petroleum, fishing, saw-milling, natural gas Currency- Central African CFA franc Ecuatoguineo

Nicaragua

Capital- Managua Exports- Textiles and apparel, coffee, shrimp Currency- Nicaraguan córdoba Nicaraqüense

Uruguay

Capital- Montevideo Exports- Meat, leather, rice Currency- Uruguayan peso Uruguayo

Panama

Capital- Panama City Exports- Bananas, shrimp, textiles and apparel Currency- USD Panameño

Ecuador

Capital- Quito Exports- Petroleum, bananas, shrimp Currency- USD Ecuatoriano

Costa Rica

Capital- San José Exports- Agriculture, electronics Currency- Costa Rican colón Costarricense

Puerto Rico

Capital- San Juan Exports- Chemicals, electronics, textiles and apparel Currency- USD Puertorriqueño

El Salvador

Capital- San Salvador Exports- Coffee, textiles and apparel, sugar Currency- USD Salvadoreño

Dominican Republic

Capital- Santo Domingo Export- Gold and silver, coffee, sugar Currency- Dominican peso Dominicano

Argentina

Capital-Buenos Aires Export-Beef, wine Currency-Argentinian peso Argentino

Chile

Capital-Santiago Export- Mining, fishing, agricultural products (including wine) Currency-Chilean peso Chileno

Honduras

Capital-Tegucigalpa Exports- Bananas, coffee, clothing Currency- Honduran lempira Hondureño

Puerto Rican food

Plantains, bananas, and coffee

Navidades

Posadas: Catholic, nine days leading up to Christmas, means "inns". Meant to simulate Mary and Joseph looking for shelter. People go from house to house singing carols and inviting those inside to join the procession. The night ends at a host's home where everyone enjoys a warm drink, food and games. La quema de polvora y luces de navidad (fireworks and sparklers) - Fireworks of every kind Day of the Immaculate Conception (El Dia de las Luces): los farolitos y luminarias (festive lanterns) lighting candles and lanterns. In some countries this special celebration takes place on December 7th. La carta al niño Dios- Latino children write letters to el niño instead of Santa Claus Decorar con pascuas (poinsettia)- Natural and artificial poinsettias add the Christmas touch

Surname

father's 1st surname + mother's 1st surname

Jamón serrano

Dry-cured Spanish hams that are served in thin slices

Año Nuevo

Eating a grape with each of the twelve chimes of a clock's bell during the midnight countdown, while making a wish with each one Decorate homes and parties in colors that represent wishes for the upcoming year Mexican sweet bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden in the dough. When the bread is served, the recipient of the slice with the coin or charm is said to be blessed with good luck in the New Year. Make a list of all the bad or unhappy events over the past 12 months; before midnight, this list is thrown into a fire, symbolizing the removal of negative energy from the new year. A late-night dinner with their families, the traditional meal being turkey or pork loin. Parties outside the home. Wearing yellow underwear and yellow clothing. It is said to restore vitality to your life. People who want to travel walk the streets with a suitcase in hand, others hold money in their hand or place coins at their door for good fortune in the new year.

To do something pointless / To put a drop in the bucket

Echar agua al mar

Roscón de Reyes

El Día de los Reyes Magos A ring-shaped cake decorated with fruits symbolizing the precious gems that adorned the royal trio's lavish clothing. Hidden inside this delicious Rosca, a plastic figurine of the Baby Jesus. The Baby is hidden because it symbolizes the need to find a secure place where Jesus could be born, a place where King Herod would not find Him. Whoever gets the baby figurine shall be the host, and invite everyone present to a new celebration on February 2, Candelaria or Candle mass day, and he also shall get a new Ropón or dress for the Baby Jesus of the Nativity scene.

Languages of Latin America

Nahuatl Yucatec Maya Quechua Aymara Amerindian languages

Aztec

Nahuatl-speaking people 15th and early 16th centuries Central and southern Mexico. They referred to themselves as Culhua-Mexica, to link themselves with Colhuacán, the centre of the most-civilized people of the Valley of Mexico.

Minutes more than 30 past the hour

Next hour menos minutes

Violeta Chamorro

Nicaraguan politician, former president and publisher, known for ending the Contra War, and bringing peace to the country. She is the only woman to hold the position of president in Nicaragua. When her husband was assassinated, she took over the newspaper. His murder sparked the Nicaraguan Revolution. La Prensa criticized the government. Her presidency was the first time in more than five decades that a peaceful transition of power had occurred in Nicaragua and the first time that one elected president had given way to another. Her presidency initiate da period of economic and social decline.

A person who says what they think and how they feel without caring about what others might think

No tener pelos en la lengua

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

"The Tenth Muse", "The Phoenix of America", or the "Mexican Phoenix". She lived during Mexico's colonial period, making her a contributor both to early Mexican literature as well as to the broader literature of the Spanish Golden Age. She wrote in Nahuatl. She joined a nunnery and began writing poetry and prose dealing on love, feminism, and religion. Her criticism of misogyny and the hypocrisy of men led to her condemnation. She died having caught the plague while treating her fellow nuns. Works: -The Dream: a long philosophical and descriptive silva (a poetic form combining verses of 7 and 11 syllables), the shadow of night beneath which a person falls asleep in the midst of quietness and silence and urged to silence and rest by Harpocrates. -Pawn of a House: Two couples are in love but, can't be together. In the story is a woman expresses her desires to a nun. It is often considered the peak of her work and the peak of New-Hispanic literature. It is considered a rare work in colonial Spanish-American theater. -Love is More a Labyrinth: Theseus (Greek mythology) fights against the Minotaur and awakens the love of Ariadne and Fedra. She conceived Theseus as the archetype of the baroque hero. Theseus' triumph over the Minotaur does not make Theseus proud, but instead allows him to be humble

How is the date written

# + de + mes (lowercase) + en + año

Dalí

11 May 1904-23 January 1989 Nationality: Spanish Education: San Fernando School of Fine Arts, Madrid, Spain Known for: Painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, writing, film, jewelry Notable work: The Persistence of Memory Face of Mae West Which May Be Used as an Apartment Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War) Swans Reflecting Elephants Ballerina in a Death's Head Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening The Temptation of St. Anthony The Elephants Galatea of the Spheres Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus) Movement: Cubism, Dada, Surrealism

El Greco

1541-7 April 1614 Nationality: Greek Known for: Painting, sculpture and architecture Notable work: El Expolio The Assumption of the Virgin The Burial of the Count of Orgaz View of Toledo Opening of the Fifth Seal Movement: Mannerism

Machu Picchu

15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge. Constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor. It is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. It was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.

Calderón de la Barca

17 January 1600-25 May 1681 Nationality: Spanish Life: Dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest. Born when the Spanish Golden Age theatre was being defined by Lope de Vega, he developed it further, his work being regarded as the culmination of the Spanish Baroque theatre. As such, he is regarded as one of Spain's foremost dramatists and one of the finest playwrights of world literature

Muralist movement

1920s; had social and political messages as part of efforts to reunify the country under the post-revolution government. It was headed by "the big three" painters, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. From the 1920s to about 1970s a large number of pieces with nationalistic, social and political messages were created on public buildings, starting a tradition which continues to this day and has had impact in other parts of the Americas, including the United States where it served as inspiration for the Chicano art movement.

Spanish Civil War

1936-39 military revolt against the Republican government. The military coup failed to win control of the entire country and war ensued. The Nationalists, rebels, got help from Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. They were mostly Roman Catholics, important elements of the military, landowners, and businessmen. The Republicans received aid from the Soviet Union and International Brigades (volunteers from Europe and the United States). They were urban workers, agricultural labourers, and the educated middle class.

Miró

20 April 1893-25 December 1983 Nationality: Spanish Education: Escuela de Bellas Artes de la Llotja, and Escuela de Arte de Francesco Galí, Circulo Artístico de Sant Lluc Known for: Painting, sculpture, mural and ceramics Movement: Surrealism, Dada, Personal, Experimental

Andrés Segovia

21 February 1893-2 June 1987 Nationality: Spanish Life: Classical guitarist from Linares, Spain. He is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time and the grandfather of the classical guitar. Many professional classical guitarists today are students of Segovia, or students of his students. Segovia's contribution to the modern-romantic repertoire not only included commissions but also his own transcriptions of classical or baroque works.

Tirso de Molina

24 March 1579 - 12 March 1648 Spanish Baroque dramatist, poet and Roman Catholic monk. He is primarily known for writing The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest, the play from which the popular character of Don Juan originates. His work is also of particular significance due to the abundance of female protagonists, as well as the exploration of sexual issues.

Gaudí

25 June 1852-10 June 1926 Nationality: Spanish Occupation: Architect Buildings: Sagrada Família, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló Projects: Park Güell, Church of Colònia Güell

Lope de Vega

25 November 1562-27 August 1635 Madrid Occupation: Poet, playwright Literary movement: Baroque Notable works: Fuenteovejuna The Dog in the Manger Punishment Without Revenge

Picasso

25 October 1881-8 April 1973 Nationality: Spanish Education: José Ruiz y Blasco (father) Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando Known for: Painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, stage design, writing Notable work: La Vie Family of Saltimbanques Les Demoiselles d'Avignon Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler Girl before a Mirror Le Rêve Guernica The Weeping Woman Movement: Cubism, Surrealism

Isaac Albéniz

29 May 1860-18 May 1909) Nationality: Spanish Life: Pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music idioms. Transcriptions of many of his pieces, such as Asturias (Leyenda), Granada, Sevilla, Cádiz, Córdoba, Cataluña, and the Tango in D, are important pieces for classical guitar, though he never composed for the guitar.

Goya

30 March 1746-16 April 1828 Nationality: Spanish Known for: Painting, drawing Movement: Romanticism Works: El Quitasol, El Perro, La maja vestida, El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid, El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid, Saturno devorando a su hijo

Federico García Lorca

5 June 1898 - 19 August 1936 Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. Member of the Generation of '27. He was executed by Nationalist forces at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. Poetry collections: Canciones Romancero gitano Plays: Mariana Pineda Bodas de sangre Yerma La casa de Bernarda Alba Filmscripts: Viaje a la luna (Trip to the Moon 1929) Operas: Lola, la Comedianta Drawings and paintings: Salvador Dalí Bust of a Dead Man

Gabriel García Márquez

6 March 1927 - 17 April 2014, was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century and one of the best in the Spanish language. He is best known for his novels. He popularized magic realism. Novels: One Hundred Years of Solitude The Autumn of the Patriarch Love in the Time of Cholera

Daily schedule

8AM El desayuno 9-11AM work 11-11:30AM snack 11:30-2PM work 2-4PM lunch 4-7PM work 6PM La merienda 9PM+ La cena

Quinceañera

A celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday. It has its cultural roots in Latin America but is widely celebrated today throughout the Americas. The girl celebrating the birthday is a quinceañera. In Spanish, and in Latin American countries, the term quinceañera is reserved solely for the girl.

Agua fresca

A combination of fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water to make light non-alcoholic beverages. Some of the more common flavors include tamarind, hibiscus, and agua de horchata. Mexico

Buñuelos

A common treat consisting of fried dough often flavored with anise and finished off with a sugar topping or honey. In Nicaragua, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, they are made with a dough containing cassava. In Mexico, the dessert is usually made with flour tortillas and a syrup made of piloncillo, an unrefined whole cane sugar. Navidad, Nochebuena, Posadas

Dulce de leche

A confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a substance has an appearance and flavour similar to caramel. Its origin is a highly debated topic and it is popular in most Latin American countries.

Pasodoble

A dance with a binary rhythm and moderated movement, probably based on typical Spanish dances of the 16th century. During the 18th century, it was incorporated to comedies and was adopted as a regulatory step for the Spanish infantry, with a special feature that makes the troops take the regular step: 120 steps per minute. The music was introduced in bullfights during the 19th century. It is played during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring or during the passes just before the kill. It corresponds to the pasodoble dance.

Arroz con leche

A dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon and raisins. Different variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such as sugar. Latin America

Lesser Antilles

A group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most form a long, partly volcanic island arc between the Greater Antilles to the north-west and the continent of South America. The islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean

La Generación del '98

A group of novelists, poets, essayists, and philosophers active in Spain at the time of the Spanish-American War. The name was coined by José Martínez Ruiz, commonly known as Azorín, in his 1913 essays, alluding to the moral, political and social crisis in Spain produced by the loss of the colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam. The intellectuals included in this group are known for their criticism of the Spanish literary and educational establishments. Joaquín Costa Ángel Ganivet Miguel de Unamuno Ramón del Valle-Inclán José Martínez Ruiz (Azorín) Pío Baroja Antonio Machado Manuel Machado Ramiro de Maeztu

Greater Antilles

A grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea: Cuba, Hispaniola (containing Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.

Literatura gauchesca

A literary movement purporting to use the language of the country people and reflecting their mentality. 1870s to 1920s in Argentina, Uruguay and south of Brazil after which the movement petered out, although some works continued to be written. Three great poets in this trend were, José Hernández, Estanislao del Campo and Hilario Ascasubi. Poetry Hilario Ascasubi, Santos Vega o los Mellizos de la Flor, Estanislao del Campo, Fausto, Jose Hernandez, Martin Fierro, Rafael Obligado, Santos Vega Novels: Eduardo Gutiérrez, Juan Moreira, Benito Lynch: The Englishman of the Bones, The Romance of a Gaucho, Ricardo Güiraldes, Don Segundo Sombra, Juan Godoy, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Bartolomé Hidalgo, Eduardo Acevedo Díaz, Javier de Viana, Justino Zavala Muniz, Serafín J. García, Alcides de María, Orosmán Moratorio, Wenceslao Varela

Juan Perón

A military officer and politician who was elected president of Argentina three times. He rose to political power following a coup. His three-term presidency led to the reshaping of the Argentine economy along with restrictions on civil liberties. His administration charted a bold new economic path for the country. Preaching industrialization and government intervention, he promoted a "Third Way" that was neither capitalism nor communist. He also severely restricted existing constitutional liberties and rewrote the law to allow his reelection in 1951.

Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

A museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in País Vasco, Spain. The museum was inaugurated by former King Juan Carlos I. It is one of the largest museums in Spain.

Salutations

Besos Chau Greet each person individually ¿Cómo te va? ¿Cómo anda? Usted if older than you or of authority Stand too close

La Alhambra

A palace and fortress located in Spain. It was originally constructed as a small fortress in AD 889. It is a major tourist attraction, exhibiting the country's most significant and well-known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The majority of the palace buildings are quadrangular in plan, with all the rooms opening on to a central court. Column arcades, fountains with running water, and reflecting pools were used to add. The exterior was left plain. Sun and wind were freely admitted. Blue, red, and a golden yellow are the main colors. The decoration of the upper part of the walls are Arabic inscriptions. Much of this ornament is carved stucco.

Tango

A partner dance that originated in the 1880s along the River Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay, and soon spread to the rest of the world. Today, there are many forms of the dance. Popular among dancing circles, the authentic dance is considered to be the one closest to the form originally danced in Argentina and Uruguay.

Salsa

A popular form of social dance that originated in the Caribbean. The movements have origins in Cuban Son, cha-cha-cha, mambo and Puerto Rican bomba and plena and other dance forms. The dance, along with the music, originated in the mid-1970s in New York.

Flamenco

A professionalized art-form based on the various folkloric music traditions of Southern Spain in the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Extremadura and Murcia. It includes cante (singing), toque (guitar playing), baile (dance), jaleo (vocalizations), palmas (handclapping) and pitos (finger snapping).

Líneas de Nasca

A series of large ancient geoglyphs in the southern Peru, believed to be created by between 500 BC and 500 AD The figures vary in complexity. The designs are shallow lines made in the ground by removing the reddish pebbles and uncovering the whitish/grayish ground beneath.

Tres leches

A sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. Mexico

Teatro campesino

A theatrical troupe founded in 1965 as the cultural arm of the United Farm Workers with the "full support of Cesar Chavez." The original actors were all farmworkers, and they enacted events inspired by the lives of their audience. Early performances were on flat bed trucks in the middle of the fields in Delano, California, and the theater is now located in San Juan Bautista, California.

Uzmal

An ancient Maya city in Mexico. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture. Its buildings are noted for their size and decoration. Ancient roads called sacbes connect the buildings, and also were built to other cities. Its buildings are typical of the Puuc style, with smooth low walls that open on ornate friezes based on representations of typical Maya huts.

Flan

An open, rimmed, pastry or sponge base, containing a sweet or savoury filling Spain

Teotihuacán

Ancient Mesoamerican city located in a Valley of Mexico, known today as the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian Americas. It was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramids, it is also anthropologically significant for its complex, multi-family residential compounds, the Avenue of the Dead and the small portion of its vibrant murals that have been exceptionally well-preserved. It exported fine obsidian tools.

Tapas

Appetizers, Spain

Aconcagua

Argentina The highest mountain in the Americas at 6,962 m (22,841 ft), and the highest mountain outside Asia. It is located in the Andes mountain range

South America

Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela

Patagonia

Argentina and Chile Integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the south west towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean

Pampas

Argentina and Uraguay - provide grazing for cattle Fertile South American lowlands

Mate

Argentina and Uruguay, Paraguay, the Bolivian Chaco, Southern Chile and Southern Brazil. It is also consumed in Syria, the largest importer in the world, and in Lebanon. Tea

San Martín

Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire who served as the Protector of Peru. In 1812, he set sail for Buenos Aires and offered his services to Río de la Plata. He liberated Chile then sailed to attack the Spanish stronghold of Lima, Peru. He was appointed Protector of Peru, and Peruvian independence was officially declared on 28 July. On 22 July 1822. Heis regarded as a national hero of Argentina and Peru, and one of the Liberators of Spanish South America.

English words derived from Spanish

Arizona California Colorado Florida Montana Nevada New Mexico Texas Utah Buena Vista El Paso Fresno Las Vegas Los Angeles Monterey San Antonio San Francisco Santa Cruz buckaroo corral chaps lariat lasso ranch rodeo stampede ten-gallon hat breeze caldera canyon mesa playa sierra tornado alligator armadillo barracuda bronco burro cockroach mosquito mustang fiesta macho matador patio plaza piñata pueblo quinceañera silo tango telenovela armada conquistador guerrilla renegade vigilante cargo embargo burrito chorizo cilantro daiquiri habanero jalapeño mojito nacho oregano piña colada salsa taco tequila vanilla

La Araucana

Author: Alonso de Ercilla Date: 16th century Genre: Epic poem, Siglo de Oro Country: Spain Plot: The work describes the initial phase of a war which evolved from the Spanish conquest attempt of southern Chile. The war would come to shape the economics, politics and social life of Chile for centuries. Ercilla placed the lesser conquests of the Spanish in Chile at the core of his poem, because the author was a participant in the conquest and the story is based on his experiences there. Facts: 37 cantos that are distributed across the poem's three parts. Octava real

La Celestina

Author: Fernando de Rojas Date: 1499 Genre: Medieval novel Country: Spain Plot: Calisto enters a garden where he meets Melibea and is in love. Unable to see her again, his servant Sempronio suggests using Celestina. She is the owner of a brothel and in charge of her two young employees, Elicia and Areúsa. When Calisto agrees, Sempronio plots with Celestina to make as much money out of his master as they can. She rewards him with Elicia. Another servant of Calisto's, Pármeno, mistrusts Celestina because he used to work for her when he was a child. Pármeno warns his master not to use her. However Celestina convinces Pármeno to join her and Sempronio in taking advantage of Calisto. His reward is Areúsa. When Calisto returns home at dawn to sleep, his two servants go round to Celestina's house to get their share of the gold. She tries to cheat them and in rage they kill her in front of Elicia. After jumping out of the window in an attempt to escape the Night Guard, Sempronio and Pármeno are caught and are beheaded. Elicia tells Areúsa of the deaths. Areúsa and Elicia come up with a plan to punish Calisto and Melibea for being the cause of Celestina, Sempronia, and Pármeno's downfall. Calisto returns to Melibea; while leaving because of a ruckus he heard in the street, he falls from the ladder and is killed. After confessing to her father the recent events of her love affair and Calisto's death, Melibea jumps from the tower of the house and dies too. Facts: It is precisely in the 1490s when the first editions of Comedy of Calisto and Melibea began to appear. The book is considered to be one of the greatest works of all Spanish literature, and is usually regarded as marking the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the renaissance in Spanish literature. Although usually regarded as a novel, it is written as a continuous series of dialogues and can be taken as a play, having been staged as such and filmed.

El libro de buen amor

Author: Juan Ruiz Archpriest of Hita Date: 1330; expansion completed 1343 Genre: Poetry, mester de clerecía Country: Spain Plot: The introduction, where the author explains how the book should be interpreted. A fictitious autobiography of the author in which he tells us of his relationships with women of different origin and social status: a nun, a Moor, a housewife he spied praying, a baker, a noble woman and several mountain women (serranas), often helped by another woman named Urraca, better known as Trotaconventos (Trots-between-monasteries). Several examples (parables, fables and tales) which serve as moral education at the end of each episode. The dispute between the author and Love (Don Amor), in which he accuses Love of being the cause of the seven mortal sins The tale of the love of Mr. Melon (don Melón) and Mrs. Endrina, an adaptation of the medieval elegiac comedy Pamphilus de amore. The tale of a battle between Carnival ("Don Carnal") and Lent ("Doña Cuaresma") A commentary of "Ars Amandi" (Art of Love) by Ovid A number of songs dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. A number of profane songs, such as that upon the death of "Trotaconventos" Facts: The Book begins with prayers and a guide as to how to read the work, followed by stories each containing a moral and often comical tale.

Don Quijote de la Mancha

Author: Miguel de Cervantes Date: 1605 (Part One) 1615 (Part Two) Genre: Novel Country: Spain Plot: Don Quixote is a middle-aged gentleman from the region of La Mancha in central Spain. Obsessed with the chivalrous ideals touted in books he has read, he decides to take up his lance and sword to defend the helpless and destroy the wicked. After a first failed adventure, he sets out on a second one with a somewhat befuddled laborer named Sancho Panza, whom he has persuaded to accompany him as his faithful squire. In return for Sancho's services, Don Quixote promises to make Sancho the wealthy governor of an isle. On his horse, Rocinante, a barn nag well past his prime, Don Quixote rides the roads of Spain in search of glory and grand adventure. He gives up food, shelter, and comfort, all in the name of a peasant woman, Dulcinea del Toboso, whom he envisions as a princess.

El Cantar del Mío Cid

Author: Unknown Date: Composed sometime between 1140 and 1207 Genre- Epic poem, realist Country: Spain Plot: The story begins with the exile of El Cid, whose enemies had unjustly accused him of stealing money from the king, Alfonso VI, leading to his exile. To regain his honor, he participated in the battles against the Moorish armies and conquered Valencia. By these heroic acts he regained the confidence of the king and his honor was restored. The king personally marries El Cid's daughters to the infantes (princes) of Carrión. However, when the princes are humiliated by El Cid's men for their cowardice, the infantes swear revenge. They beat their new wives and leave them for dead. When El Cid learns of this he pleads to the king for justice. The infantes are forced to return El Cid's dowry and are defeated in a duel, stripping them of all honor. El Cid's two daughters then remarry to the infantes of Navarre and Aragon. Through the marriages of his daughters, El Cid began the unification of Spain. Facts: Based on a true story, it tells of the Castilian hero El Cid, and takes place during the Reconquista, or reconquest of Spain from the Moors. Conventionally divided into three parts

Sweet bread

Año Nuevo Mexican treat that is baked with a coin or charm hidden inside. When it is served, the recipient of the slice with the coin or charm is said to be blessed with good luck in the New Year.

Colombian food

Bandeja paisa- beans, rice, ground meat or carne asada, chorizo, fried egg, arepa and chicharrón. It is usually accompanied by avocado, tomato and sauces. Sancocho soup Arepas (a corn based bread like patty) Local species of animals like the guaratinaja, part of the wayuu Amerindian culture.

Carnaval

Before Lent, February or early March, Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Public celebration and/or parade combining some elements of a circus, masks, and a public street party. People wear masks and costumes. There's mock battles such as food fights; social satire and mockery of authorities; the grotesque body displaying exaggerated features, especially large noses, bellies, mouths, and phalli, or elements of animal bodies; abusive language and degrading acts; depictions of disease and gleeful death; and a general reversal of everyday rules and norms. Excessive consumption of alcohol, meat, and other foods proscribed during Lent is extremely common.

Central America

Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama

Titicaca Lago

Between Bolivia & Perú In Andes Mountains Largest lake in South America According to Incan lore, after a great flood, the god Viracocha arose from it to create the world. He commanded the sun (Inti), moon (Mama Kilya) and stars to rise, then went to Tiahuanaco to create the first human beings, Mallku Kapac and Mama Ocllo. These first humans, the "Inca Adam and Eve," were formed from stone and brought to life by Viracocha, who commanded them to go out and populate the world. Thus it is the birthplace of the Incas, whose spirits return to their origin in the lake upon death.

Plácido Domingo

Born: 21 January 1941 Nationality: Spanish Life: Spanish tenor, conductor and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, German, Spanish, English and Russian in the most prestigious opera houses in the world. He has performed 147 different roles. He loves and promotes opera.

Siqueiros

Born: December 29, 1896 Died: January 6, 1974 Nationality:Mexican Life: Social realist painter, better known for his large murals in fresco. He was a Marxist-Leninist in support of the Soviet Union and a member of the Mexican Communist Party who participated in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Leon Trotsky in May 1940. Movement: Muralist Movement

La Tomatina

Buñol, Spain Last Wednesday of August Participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes.

Early civilization of Spain

By the Iron Age, 7th century BC, the Iberian Peninsula consisted of complex agrarian and urban civilizations, either Pre-Celtic or Celtic. The Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians settled along the Mediterranean coast and founded trading colonies. The Greeks coined the name Iberia. Roman- In 218 BC, during the Second Punic War against the Carthaginians, the first Roman troops invaded the Iberian Peninsula; Augustus annexed it after two centuries of war with the Celtics, Iberian tribes, Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginian colonies. The result was Hispania. It supplied the Roman Empire with silver, food, olive oil, wine, and metal. Germanic- In the early fifth century, Germanic peoples invaded the peninsula. The Visigoths eventually conquered the Suebi kingdom and its capital city, Bracara. They would also conquer the province of the Byzantine Empire of Spania in the south of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Islamic Caliphate- In 711, a Muslim army invaded the Visigothic Kingdom in Hispania. Under Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Islamic army landed at Gibraltar and, in an eight-year campaign, occupied all except the northern kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula in the Umayyad conquest of Hispania. Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given to what is today southern Spain by its Muslim Berber and Arab occupiers. From the 8th-15th centuries, only the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula was incorporated into the Islamic world and became a center of culture and learning, especially during the Caliphate of Córdoba. The Muslims were referred as Moors. Reconquest- Many of the ousted Gothic nobles took refuge in the unconquered north Kingdom of Asturias. From there, they aimed to reconquer their lands from the Moors. The Reconquista gained momentum on c. 718, when the Christian Asturians opposed the Moors, the southern march to push out the Muslims continued for three hundred years, so for another four hundred years, only the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula was transformed into a Romance-speaking and Arabic-speaking Muslim land, along with pockets of a large minority of Arabic-speaking Sephardi Jews. Middle Ages- Many small states including the Kingdom of Castile, Crown of Aragon, Kingdom of Navarre, Kingdom of León and the Kingdom of Portugal. The last major Muslim stronghold was Granada, which was conquered by a combined Castilian and Aragonese force in 1492. Muslims and Jews were ordered to convert to Christianity or face expulsion. Many Jews and Muslims fled to North Africa and the Ottoman Empire, while others publicly converted to Christianity and became known respectively as Marranos and Moriscos. Many practiced their religion in secret. The Moriscos revolted several times and were expelled from Spain in the early 17th century. Post Reconquest- The small states gradually amalgamated over time, with the exception of Portugal, even if for a brief period (1580-1640) the whole peninsula was united politically under the Iberian Union. After that point, the modern position was reached and the peninsula now consists of the countries of Spain and Portugal, Andorra, French Cerdagne and Gibraltar.

Paraguay

Capital- Asunción Exports- Soybeans, feed, cotton Currency- Paraguayan guaraní Paraguayo

Colombia

Capital- Bogotá Export- Petroleum, coffee, coal Currency- Colombian peso Colombiano

Venezuela

Capital- Caracas Exports- Petroleum and gas, aluminum, bauxite Currency- Venezuelan bolivar Venezolano

Guatamala

Capital- Ciudad de Guatemala Exports- Coffee, sugar, bananas Currency- Guatemalan quetzal Guatemalteco

México

Capital- Ciudad de México Exports- Manufactured goods, oil, silver Currency- Mexican peso Mexicano

Cuba

Capital- Havana Export- Sugar, coffee, tobacco Currency- Cuban convertible peso & Cuban peso Cubano

Bolivia

Capital- La Paz Export- Tin, gold, jewelry Currency- Boliviano Boliviano

Perú

Capital- Lima Exports- Mined materials, textiles, chemicals Currency- Peruvian nuevo sol Peruano

Toltec

Central Mexico 10th and mid-12th centuries CE. Passed on that heritage Aztecs. Migrated from the deserts of the north-west to Culhuacan in the Valley of Mexico. First leader was Ce Técpatl Mixcoatl (One Flint Cloud Serpent, i.e. the Milky Way), and his son Ce Acatl Topiltzin (One Reed Sacrifice) would go on to gain fame as a great ruler and acquire the name of the great god Quetzalcoatl ('Feathered Serpent') amongst his titles. The first settlement was at Culhuacan, but they later established a capital at Tollan. Population of 30,000-40,000. The heart of the city was laid out in a grid pattern.

Isla de Pascua

Chilean island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people. Much of the island is protected within Rapa Nui National Park. One of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It is a special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888.

Isabel Allende

Chilean journalist and author born on August 2, 1942, in Lima, Peru. Works: The House of Spirits City of the Beasts Inés of My Soul Paula

Honduran food

Coconut, Fried fish, Carne asada, Baleadas Pollo con tajadas- fried fish with fried green banana chips Platano maduro fritos with sour creme Meat roasted with chismol- carne asada Chicken with rice and corn Fried fish (Yojoa style) with encurtido (pickled onions and jalapeños). Soup: conch soup, bean soup, Mondongo soup, or soup of intestine, seafood soups, beef soups, all of which are mixed with plaintains, yuca, cabbage among other things, and complemented with corn tortillas. Montucas or corn tamale, stuffed tortillas, tamales wrapped up with banana leaves, among other types of food. Tropical fruits: papaya, pineapple, plums, epazotes, passionfruits, and a wide variety of bananas and platains

Cinco de Mayo

Commemorate the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla. In Puebla, historical reenactments, parades, and meals take place to commemorate the battle. Parade participants dress as French and Mexican soldiers to reenact the battle

Caribbean

Cuba Dominican Republic Haiti Jamaica Puerto Rico

Martí

Cuban national hero and important figure in Latin American literature. Through his writings and political activity, he became a symbol for Cuba's bid for independence against Spain. He was a key figure in the Cuban War of Independence. He died in military action. He is considered one of the great turn-of-the-century Latin American intellectuals. His newspaper Patria was an important instrument in his campaign for Cuban independence. One of his poems was adapted to the song "Guantanamera", which is the patriotic song of Cuba.

Mole

Dark sauce containing a fruit, chili pepper, nut and spices like black pepper, cinnamon and cumin. Mexico

Pablo Casals

December 29, 1876-October 22, 1973 Nationality: Spanish Life: Cellist, composer, and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time. He made many recordings throughout his career, of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, also as conductor, but he is perhaps best remembered for the recordings of the Bach Cello Suites he made from 1936 to 1939.

Botero

Died: 19 April 1932 Nationality: Colombian Known for: Painter, sculptor "Boterismo", depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political criticism or humor, depending on the piece. He is considered the most recognized and quoted living artist from Latin America

Bolivar

El Libertador, was a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a leading role in the establishment of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama as sovereign states, independent of Spanish rule. He participated in the foundation of the first union of independent nations in Latin America, Gran Colombia, of which he was president from 1819 to 1830. At the peak of his power, he ruled from the Argentine border to the Caribbean Sea. He is considered one of the great heroes of the Hispanic independence movements of the early 19th century.

Pupusas

El Salvador Thick corn tortilla stuffed with a savory filling, typically accompanied by curtido spicy coleslaw

To put the cart before the horse

Empezar la casa por el tejado

To be a little crazy

Estar como una cabra

To be very angry

Estar hecho un ají

To be fit as a fiddle

Estar más sano que una pera

Sierra Madre Occidental

Major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest-southeast through Northwestern and Western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. It is part of the American Cordillera.

El realismo mágico

Fiction and literature with magic or the supernatural presented in an otherwise real-world or mundane setting. Authors & Works: Miguel Angel Asturias Jorge Luis Borges Elena Garro Juan Rulfo- Pedro Páramo Rómulo Gallegos Gabriel García Márquez Isabel Allende- The House of the Spirits Laura Esquivel- Like Water for Chocolate

Amazon River

Flows about 4000 miles through the heart of South America

Río Grande

Forms a border between Mexico and US

Spanish American War

Fought between the US and Spain in 1898. Began after the internal explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba leading to US intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. First Madrid declared war, and Washington then followed suit. The main issue was Cuban independence. The US sent an ultimatum to Spain demanding that it surrender control of Cuba. The result was the 1898 Treaty of Paris, negotiated on terms favourable to the U.S. which allowed it temporary control of Cuba and ceded ownership of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippine islands. The defeat and loss of the last remnants of the Spanish Empire provoked the Generation of '98.

Costa Rican food

Gallo pinto- main staple consisting of rice and black beans, eaten at all three meals Tortillas are used to accompany most meals. They will often fill their tortillas with whatever they are eating and eat it in the form of a gallo. White cheese is non-processed cheese that is made by adding salt to milk in production. Picadillos are meat and vegetable combinations where one or more vegetables are diced, mixed with beef and garnished with spices. Common vegetables used in picadillos are potatoes, green beans, squash, ayote, chayote and arracache. Often, picadillos are eaten in the form of gallos.

Maseta Central Plateau

Great interior plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, central Spain. With Madrid at its centre, it extends over 81,000 square miles and has an average elevation of 2,165 feet

You have to let time take its course.

Hay que dejarle tiempo al tiempo.

Salvador Allende

He became Chile's first socialist president in 1970. He co-founded Chile's Socialist Party and ran for the Chilean presidency several times before winning the 1970 election. His regime was supported by working-class constituencies, but was opposed in covert actions by Richard Nixon. He helped implement such social reforms as higher pensions, a free school lunch program and safety laws for factory workers. He declared his commitment to Marxism and desire to promote a socialist Chile.

Benito Juárez

He held power during the Liberal Reform and French invasion. He became president of Mexico and died in office. He weathered the War of the Reform (1858-60), a civil war between Liberals and Conservatives, and the French invasion (1862-67). He is now "a preeminent symbol of Mexican nationalism and resistance to foreign intervention." He sought to strengthen the national government and asserted the supremacy of central power over states.

Fidel Castro

He orchestrated the Cuban Revolution and was the head of Cuba's government until 2008. He began a campaign of guerrilla warfare which led to the overthrow of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. He implemented communist domestic policies and initiated military and economic relations with the Soviet Union that led to strained relations with the United States that culminated in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Improvements were made to health care and education.

Fulgencio Batista

He organized a revolt that toppled the regime at the time and was then elected president in 1940. His term ended in 1944. Eight years later, he returned and gained power as a brutal, controlling dictator. Fidel Castro toppled his regime in 1958, and he lived the remainder of his life in exile.

Óscar Arias

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his efforts to bring peace to the region. He was born into a wealthy, coffee-growing family on September 13, 1941, in Heredia, Costa Rica. He worked for the National Liberation Party. From 1972 to 1977, he served as minister of planning under President José Figueres Ferrer. In 1986, he was elected president of Costa Rica, a position he held until 2010.

Panama Canal

Man made canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific 48-mile (77 km) waterway in Panama. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. France began work on the canal in 1881 but stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate. The United States took over the project in 1904 and opened the canal on August 15, 1914.

Moorish civilization in Spain

In 711 the Islamic Moors in North Africa crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, and conquered Visigothic Christian Hispania. The second stage, with a new leader, was guided by a version of Islam that was much harsher. The started Reconquista soon after the Islamic conquest in the 8th century. Christian states based in the north and west extended power over Iberia. On 2 January 1492, the leader of the last Muslim stronghold in Granada surrendered to the armies of a recently united Christian Spain. In 1480, they agreed to allow the Inquisition in Spain. The Muslim population of Granada rebelled 1499-1501. The Castilian authorities then had an excuse to void the terms of the Treaty of Granada so they gave the muslims a choice they could either convert to Christianity or get out. The Inquisition was aimed mostly at Jews and Muslims who had overtly converted to Christianity but were practicing their faiths secretly. King Philip II directed Moriscos to give up their Arabic names and traditional dress, and prohibited the use of Arabic causing a Morisco uprising. The government expelled Moriscos. Some Muslims converted to Christianity and remained permanently in Iberia.

Meals

In Hispanic countries, a light meal is served for breakfast. Lunch is the main meal of the day for Spanish-speakers. In some countries, it is customary for adult family members and children to come home from work or school for about two hours to be together for this meal. In the early evening, la merienda, a light snack of coffee and rolls or sandwiches, is served. This meal is often very informal and may be just for children. In the evening, often as late as 9:00 p.m., a small supper, concludes the day's meals. Usually when food or additional servings are offered to Hispanics, they tend to accept only after it is offered a second or third time.

Spain's Monarchs

Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, known as the Catholic Monarchs, united two important kingdoms of the Iberian peninsula. Each kingdom retained its basic structure. In 1492 the Catholic Monarchs conquered the Kingdom of Granada in southern Spain, the last Muslim territory in the Iberian peninsula. This date marks the unification of Spain. 15th century Habsburg monarchy In the early 16th century, the Spanish monarchy controlled several territories in Europe under the Habsburg King Charles I (also Holy Roman Emperor as Charles V), son of Queen Joanna of Castile. His reign ushered in the Spanish Golden Age (1492-1659) a period of great colonial expansion and trade. In 1700, Charles II was the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. Bourbon Monarchy With the death of the childless Charles II, the succession to the throne was disputed. Charles II had designated Philip of France as his heir. The possible unification of Spain with France, the two big European powers at the time, sparked the Spanish War of Succession in the 18th century. The Bourbon Reforms attempted to rationalize administration and produce more revenue from its overseas empire. Philip V was the first member of the House of Bourbon to rule Spain, the dynasty that still rules today under Felipe VI. First Spanish Republic In September 1873 the First Spanish Republic was founded. A coup d'état restored the Bourbon dynasty to the throne in 1874. Second Spanish Republic and Regime of Francisco Franco In 1931 local and municipal elections produced victories for candidates favoring the establishment of a republic. Faced with unrest in the cities, Alfonso XIII went into exile, but did not abdicate. The ensuing provisional government evolved into the relatively short-lived Second Spanish Republic. The Spanish Civil War ended with the victory of General Francisco Franco and the Nationalists. Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany aided Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Re-establishment of the Monarchy Franco appointed Juan Carlos I de Borbón as his successor, who is credited with presiding over Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy. The next year the king signed into law the new liberal democratic Constitution of Spain. Juan Carlos worked towards establishing reliable political customs when transitioning one government administration to another, emphasizing constitutional law and protocol, and representing the Spanish State domestically and internationally, all the while aiming to maintain a professionally non-partisan yet independent monarchy.

Argentinian food

It is a major producer of meat (especially beef), wheat, corn, milk, beans, and soybeans. Given the country's vast production of beef, red meat is an especially common part of the diet. Due to the very large number of people of Italian ancestry, pizza and especially pasta are also very popular, but there are food traditions from other European nations as well, including the English afternoon tea.

Roman architecture

It used concrete and new technologies like the arch and the dome to make buildings that were strong and well-engineered. 509 BC-4th century AD. Construction based on massive walls, punctuated by arches, and later domes. They produced massive public buildings and works of civil engineering, and were responsible for significant developments in housing and public hygiene, for example their public and private baths and latrines, under-floor heating in the form of the hypocaust, mica glazing, and piped hot and cold water

Uruguayan food

Many foods from those countries such as pasta, sausages, and desserts are common in the nation's diet. The barbecue, asado, is one of the most exquisite and famous in the world. A sweet paste, Dulce de Leche is the national obsession, used to fill cookies, cakes, pancakes, milhojas, and alfajores.

El Día de los Reyes Magos

January 6th Spain Cabalgata: The kings ride upon horses or floats and throw candy. The children ask the Kings for presents. On the night, of January 5, the Three Wise Men are added to the nativity scene. That evening children leave out their shoes. The children set out goodies as well as hay to feed their camels. When morning arrives, children discover that the Kings ate the sweets, the camels ate the hay, and by their shoes there are wrapped presents. Typical breakfast of Roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake decorated with fruits symbolizing the precious gems that adorned the royal trio's lavish clothing.

Velázquez

June 6, 1599-August 6, 1660 Nationality: Spanish Known for: Painting Notable work: The Surrender of Breda Rokeby Venus Portrait of Innocent X Las Meninas Las Hilanderas Movement: Baroque

Nochebuena

La misa de gallo (Midnight Mass) - This special mass is celebrated at the stroke of midnight and it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. El nacimiento (The Nativity Scene) - The nativity scene plays a prominent role during Christmas. It is usually placed below the Christmas tree and it can get quite elaborate.

Lake Maracaibo

Largest lake in Venezuela Contains oil

Languages influencing Spanish

Latin Arabic French Basque English Celtic languages Gothic languages

Francisco Franco

Led a military rebellion to overthrow Spain's democratic republic in the Spanish Civil War and established a dictatorship. He led an uprising against the leftist Republican government and took control of Spain following the Spanish Civil War. Franco died on November 20, 1975, with country transitioning to a democracy.

Kahlo

Life: July 6, 1907-July 13, 1954 Nationality: Mexican Known for: Painting Notable work: Henry Ford Hospital My Birth Self-portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States What the Water Gave Me The Two Fridas Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird The Broken Column Movement: Surrealism, Magic realism

To say something you didn't mean

Lo dijo de labios para fuera

La mezquita de Córdoba

Located in Andalusia. The structure is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture. A small temple of Christian Visigoth origin originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque. It returned to Christian rule in during the Reconquista, and was converted to a Roman Catholic church.

La Cuevas del Altamira

Located near the historic town Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain, is renowned for its numerous parietal cave paintings featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human hands, created between years ago during the Upper Paleolithic by Paleo human settlers. The earliest paintings in the cave were executed around 35,600 years ago.

El Museo del Barrio in NY

Located towards the northern end in the neighborhood of Museum Mile. Founded in 1969, it specializes in Latin American and Caribbean art, with an emphasis on works from Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community in New York City.

What day of the week does the calendar start on?

Lunes

Arepas

Made of ground maize dough or cooked flour prominent in the cuisine of Colombia and Venezuela, and also popular in Panama and Ecuador. The Timoto-Cuicas are credited with having invented them.

El Salvador food

Maize Pupusa- a thick hand-made corn flour or rice flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, chicharrón, refried beans or loroco (a vine flower bud native to Central America). Vegetarian options: ayote (a type of squash), or garlic. Some offer pupusas stuffed with shrimp or spinach. Yuca frita- deep fried cassava root served with curtido (a pickled cabbage, onion and carrot topping) and pork rinds with pescaditas (fried baby sardines). The yuca is sometimes served boiled instead of fried. Panes con Pavo (turkey sandwiches) are warm turkey submarines. The turkey is marinated and then roasted with Pipil spices and handpulled. This sandwich is traditionally served with turkey, tomato, and watercress along with cucumber, onion, lettuce, mayonnaise, and mustard. A lot of Salvadoran food is served with French bread

Las Fallas

March 15-19 Valencia, Spain Commemoration of Saint Joseph. The term Falles refers to both the celebration and the monuments burnt during the celebration. Each neighbourhood of the city has an organized group of people, the Casal faller, that works all year long holding fundraising parties and dinners, usually featuring the noted dish, paella, a specialty of the region. Each casal faller produces a construction known as a falla which is eventually burnt.

Che Guevara

Marxist revolutionary who allied with Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution. Born in Argentina, in 1928. He aided Fidel Castro in overturning the Batista government in the late 1950s, and then held key political offices during Castro's regime. He later engaged in guerrilla action elsewhere, including in Bolivia, where he was captured and executed in 1967.

Esmeralda Santiago

May 17, 1948, Puerto Rican author and former actress known for her novels and memoirs. Her writing career evolved from her work as a writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in national newspapers. Works: When I was Puerto Rican America's Dream Almost a Woman

You're pulling my leg.

Me estás tomando el pelo.

Paraguayan food

Meat, especially beef, is a staple Kiveve soup prepared using a pumpkin, also known as "andai", or Chipa Guasú. Chipa Guasú, an original dish, is a cake made with corn grains. The national drink is known as terere, in addition to fruit juices and soft drinks being very common throughout the country. Yucca and corn are two important ingredients in the cuisine

12pm

Mediodía

Father Hidalgo

Mexican Catholic priest. On September 16, 1810, he rang the church bell to announce revolution against the Spanish. Indians and mestizos marched with him and captured major cities but were halted at the gates of the capital. He fled north but was caught and shot in 1811. The anniversary of his call is celebrated as Mexico's Independence Day.

Pico de gallo

Mexico Made from chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, fresh serranos (jalapeños or habaneros are used as alternatives), salt, and lime juice

Sierra de Guadalupe Mountains/Sierra de Villuercas

Mountain range in the greater Montes de Toledo range, Spain. It is located in province of Cáceres, autonomous community of Extremadura.

Rivera

Muralist Movement December 8, 1886 - November 24, 1957 Mexican painter His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican mural movement in Mexican art He had a volatile marriage with fellow Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Orozco

Muralist Movement November 23, 1883 - September 7, 1949 Mexican painter, who specialized in political murals Most complex of the Mexican muralists, fond of the theme of human suffering. Mostly influenced by Symbolism, he was also a genre painter and lithographer. He was known for being a politically committed artist and promoted the political causes of peasants and workers

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando.

North America

México

Chichén Itzá

México Ruinas mayan Pyramid

Día de los Muertos

Oct. 31-Nov 2 Mexico Pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey, building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using calaveras, aztec marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves. The three-day fiesta is filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations. On October 31, All Hallows Eve, the children make a children's altar to invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. November 1 is All Saints Day, and the adult spirits will come to visit. November 2 is All Souls Day, when families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives.

Celia Cruz

October 21, 1925-July 16, 2003 Nationality: Cuban Life: Singer of Latin music. She was the most popular Latin artist of the 20th century, gaining twenty-three gold albums during her career. She was renowned internationally as the "Queen of Salsa", "La Guarachera de Cuba", as well as The Queen of Latin Music. She spent much of her career working in the United States and several Latin American countries. She was an ambassador for the variety and vitality of the music of her native Havana, and after the Cuban revolution she became a symbol of artistic freedom for Cuban American exiles.

Iguazú Falls

On the Argentinian Brazilian border Largest waterfalls in world Legend has it that a deity planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In a rage, the deity sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall

Cantabrian Mountains

One of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. They stretch for over 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the Galician Massif in Galicia, along the coast of the Cantabrian Sea. Their easternmost end meets the Sistema Ibérico.

Los corrales

Open-air theatre specific to Spain. In Spanish all secular plays were called comedias, which embraced three genres: tragedy, drama, and comedy itself. During the Spanish Golden Age, they became popular sites for theatrical presentations in the early 16th century, when the theater took on a special importance in the country. The performance was held in the afternoon and lasted two to three hours, there being no intermission, and few breaks. The entertainment was continuous, including complete shows with parts sung and danced. All spectators were placed according to their sex and social status.

Nicaraguan food

Pacific coast's staple: fruits and corn Caribbean coast: seafood and the coconut Corn is a main staple. Corn is used in many of the widely consumed dishes, such as nacatamal, and indio viejo. Corn is also an ingredient for drinks such as pinolillo and chicha as well as in sweets and desserts. Locally grown vegetables and fruits such as jocote, grosella, mimbro, mango, papaya, tamarind, pipián, banana, avocado, yuca, and herbs such as cilantro, oregano and achiote. Gallo pinto is the national dish, consisting of red beans and rice.

Los Sanfermines

Pamplona, Spain Noon July 6th (when the opening of the party is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic chupinazo) through Midnight July 14th, with the singing of the Pobre de Mí. While its most famous event is the encierro, or the running of the bulls, which happens at 8:00 AM from the 7th of July to the 14th July, the festival involves many other traditional and folkloric events. Held in honor of Saint Fermin, the co-patron of Navarre.

Spanish words derived from English

Panti Smoking/Esmoquin Nylon / Nailon Piercing Fútbol Básquetbol Tenis Hockey Rugby Waterpolo Golf Surf Spinning Gol Tweet Email Post Chat Clic Link Internet Webcam DVD CD GPS PC FAQ Whiskey/Güisqui Gin-tonic Bloody Mary Cocktail/Cóctel Sandwich /Sándwich/Sanduche Beicon/Béicon/Bacón Picnic / Pícnic Yankee / Yanqui Snob / Esnob Gángster Hooligan Hippy Hacker Líder Barman Rocker Jazz Funk Blues Pop Punk House Heavy Breikdans Bar Club Pub Cámping Párking Bestseller / Béstseller Cómic Hobby Boicot Bol Bypass / By-pass Overbooking Marketing Cátering Zapping OK Textar

Bolivian food

People in the Altiplano region enjoy implementing lots of spices in their meals, while the dwellers of the lowlands eat mainly yucca, fish, fruits, and vegetables

Literatura del Siglo de Oro

Period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain, 1492-1659, The last great writer of the period, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, died in 1681, and his death usually is considered the end of period. Art: Diego Velázquez, El Greco Music: Tomás Luis de Victoria, Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero, Luis de Milán and Alonso Lobo Literature Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega, San Juan de la Cruz, Garcilaso de la Vega, Teresa of Ávila

Peruvian food

Potato, uchu or Ají (Capsicum pubescens), oca, ulluco, avocado, fruits like chirimoya, lúcuma and pineapple, and animals like taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis), llama and guinea pig (called cuy). Typical dishes: ceviche (fish and shellfish marinated in citrus juices), the chupe de camarones (a soup made of shrimp (Cryphiops caementarius)), anticuchos (cow's heart roasted en brochette), the olluco con charqui (a casserole dish made of ulluco and charqui), the Andean pachamanca (meats, tubers and broad beans cooked in a stone oven), the lomo saltado (meat fried lightly with tomato and onion, served with french fries and rice) that has a Chinese influence, and the picante de cuy (a casserole dish made of fried guinea pig with some spices). Drinks: chicha de jora (a chicha made of tender corn dried by the sun). There are also chichas made of peanuts or purple corn, known as chicha morada.

To be stunned

Quedarse de piedra

Atacama Desert

Rainfall has never been recorded Venezuela

Colonial art & architecture

Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo Classical The new churches and mission stations were located at the center of a town square or at a higher point in the landscape. The Spanish Colonial style of architecture is marked by the contrast between the simple, solid construction and the Baroque ornamentation. Mexican Churrigueresque- ultra-Baroque, fantastically extravagant and visually frenetic style. Spanish Mudéjar- Baroque influenced architecture

To make one's mouth water / To be mouthwatering

Se me hace agua la boca

Chilean food

Seafood is widely used Many recipes are accompanied and enhanced by wine such as Curanto.

Yucatán Peninsula

Separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea, encompassing 3 Mexican states, plus portions of Belize and Guatemala.

To be a piece of cake

Ser pan comido

To be bosom buddies

Ser uña y carne

Gustavo Adolfo Béquer

Sevilla, Spain, poet and author of the late Romantic period who is considered one of the first modern Spanish poets. Major literary production consists of nearly 100 Rimas, a series of about 20 Leyendas in prose, and the literary essays Cartas desde mi celda. Although many of his poems and prose works were published individually in El Contemporáneo, they did not appear in book form until after his death (Obras). His Rimas, probably his best-known works. Themes of love with disillusionment and loneliness, death and the world beyond Style: lyricism, assonance, simple and airy. Leyendas: medieval settings, supernatural characters, and a mysterious, dreamlike atmosphere.

Queso manchego

Sheep's milk cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain

Ecuadorian food

Sopa then rice or pasta and a protein such as meat, poultry, pig or fish. Then dessert and a coffee are customary. Dinner is usually lighter and sometimes just coffee or agua de remedio/herbal tea with bread. Typical dishes: a variety of ceviches, pan de yuca, corviche, guatita, papas con queso, encebollado, empanada de viento (deep fried flour cover and cheese/scallion filling, served sprinkled with sugar) or empanada de verde (green plantain cover and cheese filling), mangrove crab, arroz con menestra (lentil or bean stew) y carne asada, caldo de bola (beef soup featuring a green plantain ball filled with meat, egg, and spices); in the mountain region: hornado, fritada, humitas, tamales, llapingachos, lomo saltado, and churrasco. Pork, chicken, beef, and cuy (guinea pig) are popular in the mountain regions and are served with a variety of grains (especially rice and corn or potatoes). A popular street food in mountain regions is hornado, consisting of potatoes served with roasted pig. Fanesca, a fish soup including several types of bean, is often eaten during Lent and Easter. During the week before the commemoration of the deceased or All Souls' Day, the fruit beverage colada morada is typical, accompanied by t'anta wawa which is stuffed bread shaped like children.

Guaraní

South American Indian Paraguay with smaller groups live in Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. Spoke a Tupian language. Modern Paraguay still claims a strong heritage, and more Paraguayans speak and understand the language than Spanish. Women maintained fields of maize, cassava, and sweet potatoes while men hunted and fished. The practice of slash-and-burn agriculture made they relocate their settlements every five or six years. They took captives to be sacrificed and eaten. Some speakers migrated inland to the Río de la Plata. Spanish contact was initiated by the search for gold and silver. Their ethnically mixed descendants became the rural population of modern Paraguay. Paraguay's cultural nationalism emphasizes the continuity of their customs, language, and habits of mind. In reality, however, no truly indigenous customs have survived except the altered language.

Inca

South American Indians Spanish conquest in 1532 Along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of modern Ecuador to the Maule River in central Chile. Capital: Cuzco (Peru) in the 12th century. They began their conquests in the early 15th century and within 100 years had gained control of an Andean population of about 12 million people.

Chibcha

South American Indians Occupied the high valleys surrounding the modern cities of Bogotá and Tunja in Colombia. With a population of more than 500,000, they were more centralized politically than any other South American people outside the Incas. The society was based on an economy featuring intensive agriculture, a variety of crafts, and considerable trade. Weekly markets of farm produce, pottery, and cotton cloth; and trade with neighbouring peoples provided the gold that was used for ornaments and offerings. The use of gold was a prerogative of the upper class. The language ceased to be spoken and they became assimilated with the rest of the population

Maya

Southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador Hieroglyphic script—the only known fully developed writing system of the pre-Columbian Americas; Art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical system. Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region, and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén, the last city in 1697.

Semana Santa

Spain During the last week of Lent, the week immediately before Easter Tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods and fraternities Perform penance processions

Horchata

Spain & Latin America Some recipes call for milk, and others do not. Other ingredients often include sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla

Languages of Spain

Spanish (Castilian): It is the official language in all over the country. Galician: It is the own language of Galicia and the West fringe of Asturias and León. During the Middle Ages, the Galician-Portuguese litterature was very important, and some Castilian poets used it. Basque (Euskarian): It is the single Pre-Roman language in the country. It is spoken in the North of Spain, in the Basque Country. Its origin is unknown. Aranès: It is spoken in Val d'Aran, in the Pyrenees. It is a dialect of the Occitan language, a very important language in the Middle Ages, specially because of its literature. Catalan

Sistema Central Mountains

Spanish and Portuguese: one of the main systems of mountain ranges in the Iberian Peninsula. Almanzor is its highest summit

Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that conquered the Inca Empire. He captured and killed Incan emperor Atahualpa, and claimed the lands for Spain.

Ponce de León

Spanish explorer and conquistador. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first known European expedition to La Florida, which he named during his first voyage to the area in 1513. Though in popular culture, he was supposedly searching for the Fountain of Youth, there is no contemporary evidence to support the story, which is likely a myth. He returned to southwest Florida in 1521 to lead the first large-scale attempt to establish a Spanish colony. However, the native Calusa people fiercely resisted the incursion, and he was seriously wounded in a skirmish. The colonization attempt was abandoned, and its leader died from his wounds soon after returning to Cuba.

Zarzuelas

Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. It spread to the Spanish colonies, and many Hispanic countries - notably Cuba - developed their own traditions. A masque-like musical theatre had existed in Spain since the time of Juan del Encina. The genre was innovative in giving a dramatic function to the musical numbers, which were integrated into the argument of the work. Dances and choruses were incorporated as well as solo and ensemble numbers, all to orchestral accompaniment.

Paella

Spanish rice dish that can have meat, fish, seafood, vegetables and saffron

Cuban food

Spice palette: cumin, oregano, and bay leaves Black Caribbean rice- tropical fruits, root vegetables, fish, etc. Rice- main carbohydrate Casave- This flat bread is produced by grinding the yuca (cassava) root to form a paste which, when mixed with water, becomes a dough. This is lightly cooked as a flat circular disk and air dried to preserve its consumption for a later time. It is traditionally reconstituted in salted water and eaten with roasted pork. The other culinary curiosity is a regional dish made up of a roasted rodent uniquely found in Cuba and called Jutia

Mexican food

Staple: native corn, beans and chili peppers, beef, pork, chicken, goat and sheep, dairy products (especially cheese) and various herbs and spices. Mole- special occasions and holidays, particularly in the South region of the country.

Spain's colonization

The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Catholic faith. Beginning with the arrival of Christopher Columbus and continuing for over three centuries, the Spanish Empire would expand across the Caribbean Islands, half of South America, most of Central America and much of North America. In the early 19th century, the Spanish American wars of independence resulted in the emancipation of most Spanish colonies in the Americas, except for Cuba and Puerto Rico, which were finally given up in 1898, following the Spanish-American War, together with Guam and the Philippines in the Pacific. Spain's loss of these last territories politically ended the Spanish rule in the Americas.

To be in a bad mood

Tener un humor de perros

Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula is a mountainous region that's most associated with the countries of Spain and Portugal

Christian civilization in Spain

The Reconquista was originally a mere war of conquest. It only later underwent a significant shift in meaning toward a religiously justified war of liberation. After centuries of the Reconquista, in which Christian Spaniards fought to drive out the Moors, the Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, to complete the religious purification of the Iberian Peninsula. The Inquisition worked in large part to ensure the orthodoxy of recent converts.

Jewish civilization in Spain

The expulsion of the Jews from Spain was ordered in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs. The decision to expel the Jews followed the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition in the Crowns of Castile and Aragon to weed out the conversos who continued practising their old faith.

Moorish architecture

The from Islamic architecture of North Africa and parts of Spain and Portugal, between 711 and 1492. The best surviving examples are La Mezquita in Córdoba and the Alhambra palace in Granada, as well as the Giralda in Seville.

Juan Carlos I

The king of Spain in 1975. Born January 5, 1938, in Rome, Italy. In 1969, Francisco Franco, presented parliament with a law designating him the future king of Spain, and he took the throne two days after Franco's death in 1975. He ruled for 39 years.

El Prado en Madrid

The main Spanish national art museum. It is widely considered to have one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and the single best collection of Spanish art. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works. It is one of the most visited sites in the world, and it is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world.

Amazon Rainforest

The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil followed by Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Covers most of the Amazon basin 2,100,000 sq mi

Pyrenees

The mountain range separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, stretching more than 430km between Spain and France and rising higher than 3,400m in elevation. Andorra is a tiny sovereign state in the heart of the chain

Angel Falls

Venezuela It is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain.

Tulúm

The site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city serving as a major port for Cobá. The ruins are situated on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in Mexico. It was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya. One of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites.

Literatura picaresca

This style of novel originated in 16th-century Spain and flourished throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It continues to influence modern literature. *Written in first person as an autobiographical account. *The main character is often of low character or social class. *There is no plot. The story is told in a series of loosely connected adventures or episodes. *There is little if any character development in the main character. *The story is told with a plainness of language or realism. *Satire *The behavior of a hero stops just short of criminality. Examples: Lazarillo de Tormes, Guzmán de Alfarache, The autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini, El buscón,

To be loaded [with cash]

Tiene más lana que un borrego

To spare no expense

Tirar la casa por la ventana

Pancho Villa

Top military leader of the Mexican Revolution whose exploits were regularly filmed by a Hollywood company. Started off as a bandit who was later inspired by reformer Francisco Madero, helping him to win the Mexican Revolution. After a coup by Victoriano Huerta, he formed his own army to oppose the dictator, with more battles to follow as Mexican leadership remained in a state of flux. He was assassinated on July 20, 1923, in Parral, Mexico.

Atole

Traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mesoamerican origin. It is typically accompanied with tamales, and very popular during the Christmas holiday season Mexico

Columbus

Under the Catholic Monarchs of Spain he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Those voyages and his efforts to establish settlements on the island of Hispaniola initiated the permanent European colonization of the New World. He proposed to reach the East Indies by sailing westward and eventually received the support of the Spanish Crown. In 1492, he reached the New World instead of arriving in Japan as he had intended, landing on San Salvador. One other voyages, he visited the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Central America. He never admitted that he had reached a continent other than the East Indies. He called the inhabitants of the lands that he visited indios.

César Chávez

Union leader and labor organizer who dedicated his life to improving treatment, pay and working conditions for farm workers. He employed nonviolent means to bring attention to the plight of farmworkers, and formed unions. He led marches, called for boycotts and went on several hunger strikes. He also brought the national awareness to the dangers of pesticides to workers' health.

Alfajor

Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Spain, Paraguay, Venezuela and Southern Brazil They are made with two round cookies with different sweet fillings between them. The filling is usually dulce de leche, although there are a lot of variations. They can be covered with powder sugar, glaced sugar, grated coconut or chocolate

Venezuelan food

Varies greatly from one region to another but its cuisine, traditional as well as modern, has strong ties to its European ancestry (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French) and indigenous ancestry.

Panamanian food

Variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs that are used in native cooking. A common diet includes seafood such as crab, lobster, and squid, many versions of chicken soup, and vast amounts of fruit such as papayas, coconuts, and bananas. They also drink chicha, a very common drink

Cordillera de los Andes

Western side of South America Among longest ranges in world 4300 miles long Highest outside of Asia Cross Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.

Guatemalan food

Widely known for its candy. There are also foods that it is traditional to eat on certain days of the week - for example, by tradition it is known that on Thursday, the typical food is "paches" which is like a tamale made with a base of potato, and on Saturday it is traditional to eat tamales.

If it's summer in Northern Hemisphere what season is it in the Southern Hemisphere?

Winter

12 am

medianoche

Half hour past

y media

Family

• A basic feature of the Hispanic/Latino American family is the extended family, which plays a major role in each family member's life. • strong bonds and frequent interaction among a wide range of kin. • Grandparents, parents, and children may live in the same household or nearby. • visit one another frequently. • cooperativeness • placing the needs of the family ahead of individual concerns. This aspect of Hispanic/Latino family life has led to the erroneous conclusion that the family hard, play hard impedes individual achievement and advancement. Observers of the Hispanic/Latino American culture must distinguish between being cooperative and respectful and being docile and dependent. Generally speaking, Hispanic/Latino American children and adolescents learn to show respect for authority, the patriarchal family structure, and extended family members. • Mom is held in high regard