Hispania was the old name for the area of Spain, Portugal, Andorra and a little bit of France. Today’s Hispanic cultures are those which were once ruled by the Empire. This includes , Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Food
Another well known Hispanic celebration is Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. This holiday is celebrated on November 2. Alters are built and the favorite foods, drinks, photographs and other items of dead relatives and friends are displayed. People do this because they hope for visits by the souls of these friends and relatives. Sugar skulls are common on Dia de los Muertos and so are chocolate coffins and skulls.
Escondidas is a traditional children’s game like Hide And Seek. This game works best with five or more players. One child is chosen to be “it” and this person closes his or her eyes and counts to a set number 10, 30, 60 or even 100. As that child is counting the other players run and hide. When the count is finished the player who is “it” sets out to find the hidden players. The player who is found first becomes “it” for the next round.
Verbal Or Nonverbal Communication
In Spanish you can choose to use more formal words, and most people do this until the person they are speaking to invites them to become informal. Older people are always greeted first, and people are addressed by their last names until they give permission for their first names to be used. Meals are social events with a lot of chatting and more important business or news shared later on. Saying “please” (por favor) and “thank you” (gracias) is very important in Hispanic countries.
When they first meet many Hispanics shake hands but later men may hug each other and women kiss each other on the cheek or even on both cheeks. People stand much closer together in Hispanic countries and might think that someone is being rude if they move further away. There is also a lot more flexibility about time in Hispanic cultures, so being right on time is not necessary. Some people show up about 30 minutes after the time stated on invitations so there is no reason to worry about being a little late!
Values
Hispanic cultures value family, respect, sacrifice and hard work. Hispanic families tend to be very close, and loyalty to the family and placing the good of the family ahead of your own success is important. Working hard and making sacrifices for the good of others is also valued, and some people think it is the only way to make a better future.
Fun Facts
Most Hispanics are known as fun loving people, and one party game that developed in Mexico was the piñata. This is a cardboard shape decorated with colored paper and filled with candy, small toys and other treats. The piñata is hoisted into the air and players are blind-folded and allowed to hit the piñata with sticks. When the piñata breaks open everyone gets to enjoy the surprises which spill out.
Many Hispanic girls are thrown a quinceañera on their fifteenth birthdays. This party tells the world that the girl is now a young woman. The birthday girl dresses up in a ball gown, has her hair and make-up done, and often dances for the first time at her party. Some girls also arrive at the party in flat shoes only to change into high heels during the fun.
Famous Places
Hispanic countries are home to some of the most interesting places in the world. The Alhambra Palace in Granada, is a fortress that was built in the 14th century. It was made out of red clay and is known for its beautiful tiles. The Panama Canal was made between 1904 and 1914 and joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Patagonia, a region in Argentina and Chile, is known to some as “the ending point of the world” and includes scenery like mountains and glaciers. Machu Pichu, “the lost city of the Incas”, is in Peru and believed to have been an estate for an Incan emperor.
Important Note: This article was written by a person who is familiar with Hispanic culture based on his or her personal anecdotal observations. Additionally, there are quite a few generalizations to make the article easier to understand for the children. Dino Lingo does not accept any responsibility for errors, omissions or subjectivity in the content of this post.
We are wondering what you know about Hispanic culture…Why don’t you tell us what you know by leaving a comment below? (make sure your comment is written in a language that can be understood by small children)