LingoMaps: Las ferias nacionales españolas y las zonas locales de interés

¡Hola a todos! Espero que estéis disfrutando del buen tiempo. Esta entrada es mi última de mi año Erasmus y se trata de las ferias nacionales españolas y las zonas locales de interés.

La fiesta nacional de España is the national day of Spain. It is held every year on October 12th and is celebrated around the country. It is a celebration of the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ first arrival in America in 1492. Americans also celebrate the festival, calling it Columbus Day, whilst many Latin American countries call it el Día de la Raza. Sin embargo hoy en día la celebración es muy polémica porque críticos afirman que la llegada de Cristobal Colón en las Américas inició la persecución de la gente índigena del continente.

La Pascua es una fiesta muy importante en la sociedad y cultura española debido a las raíces católicas del país. It is called la Semana Santa and is celebrated in numerous ways in each comunidad autónoma. While the Semana Santa festivities in Andalucia are considered the most spectacular, the ones in Castila y León are often regarded as some of the most authentic, solemn, and austere in the entire country. Among the cities that hold remarkable processions are León, Zamora, Ávila, Segovia, Valladolid and in the city where I work, Salamanca. Around 22 dramatic processions of pasos accompanied by ancient wooden sculptures of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary in grief, along with hundreds of penitents carrying flags, crosses, or candles make la Semana Santa in Salamanca one of the most important celebrations of its kind in Castilla y León.

La Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) es celebrada por toda la família y se suelen comer platos grandes de comida rica. Unos platos populares son turrón (nougat), polvorones (Spanish almond cookies), cordero asado (roasted lamb), y mariscos (seafood). At midnight, people usually exchange small gifts, while the most religious of them commemorate the birth of Jesus by attending the Midnight Mass. This is locally known as Misa del Gallo (the Rooster Mass) due to the common belief that the rooster was the first to announce the birth of Christ.
No obstante durante el Día de Navidad la mayoría de famílias españolas pasan el día sin hacer mucho. Se suele un día calmo y la gente socializan con familia y amigos. Sin duda el Día de Navidad es más comercializado en el Reino Unido de que España.
El Gordo (the Fat One), the world-famous Spanish lottery draw, is certainly a sign that Christmas has arrived in Spain. Also known as la Loteria de Navidad, this is a major Christmas event in Spain, organized each year since 1812. These days, it takes place on December 22^nd and is broadcasted live on the state-run Televisión Española and Radio Nacional de España. El Gordo is the biggest and second longest running lottery in the world and has a special place in Spanish culture.

Quiz:

1. In what year did Christopher Columbus ‘discover’ the Americas?
2. Why is Colombus Day problematic? Why do people celebrate it?
3. How long do Spanish people celebrate Easter for? What is it called?
4. What is typical of Easter celebrations in Castilla y León?
5. What do Spaniards usually eat on la Nochebuena? How many can you remember?
6. What is El Gordo?

¡Hasta luego!