Spanish Nochevieja: Grapes, recalentado et al in Spain, Mexico, Cuba

Spanish (or Castilian) is the official language in Spain, Equatorial Guinea, and 19 other countries in the Americas.

It is estimated that about 400 million people speak Spanish as their native language and another 70 million as their second language.

This makes Spanish the third most spoken language in the world after Mandarin and English (Wikipedia). For a Wikipedia list of countries where Spanish is an official language, click HERE.

While most of the"Nochevieja" (old night) traditions also apply to the other Spanish-speaking countries, we'll mainly focus on Spain, Mexico, and Cuba.

Spain

New Year celebration in Spain starts with a family dinner, which often takes place in a restaurant that also offers live music. Towards midnight, many Spaniards go into the streets and to public squares to meet with friends and clink glasses to ring in the new year. 

New Year's celebrations are lively, with mostly private fireworks and all kinds of noisemakers. In the town hall, sparkling wine and grapes for good luck are distributed. In Madrid, people flock to Puerta del Sol for the city's big communal street party. In Barcelona, Placa Catalunya in the heart of the city, is the place to be.

Grapes

But no matter where they live, Spanish people share the custom of the twelve luck-bringing grapes: at each of the twelve strikes of the midnight clock (the Puerta del Sol clock is televised), you eat one grape and make a wish. At strike 12 all grapes must be gone or else you risk getting bad luck.

The strikes of the town hall clock are 3 seconds apart, so the official countdown starts 36 seconds before the hour. Throughout the country, everyone can watch the countdown on television. It is said that the custom of the 12 grapes goes back to 1909.

In that year the grape harvest was overly plentiful and someone had the idea to use up the excess grapes in this way.

I just came across this post which traces the origin of the custom back to 1882 and the mayor of Madrid. (As so often happens, taxes may have had some unintended consequences to create the "grapes-at-midnight" tradition...) There are even special 12-grape holders as shown in the picture.

Red Underwear

Spaniards also believe that wearing red underwear on the last day of the old and the first day of the new year brings the wearer luck, health, and love. Importantly, the undergarment should have been given to you by somebody else.
 
I've read that this custom goes back to the Middle Ages when people did not wear red garments. The color of blood was associated with the devil, witchcraft, and evil forces. Women (of pleasure?) who wore red underwear on New Year's Eve, however, were said to find love the following year. They would be lucky in their relationships, attract wealthy men, get married, etc.

(Recently, I learned that the Chinese also believe in the magic powers of the red color. Red underwear is one of the most popular gifts that sweethearts exchange around the Chinese New Year. In 2016, it falls on February 8, when the Year of the Monkey begins. So, just maybe, it was Marco Polo, who brought this superstition to the west around the 1300s...)

Mexico

In Mexico, a family dinner, either at home or at a special restaurant is at the center of New Year's celebrations. Tradition has it that the meal should start with a bowl of lentils, a symbolic promise of wealth and prosperity.

Grapes and Red (& Yellow) Underwear

The preferred drink is often tequila. Shortly before midnight grapes are handed out for the traditional luck-bringing ritual. As in Spain, you should eat a grape and make a wish at each of the twelve strikes of the clock at midnight. The grape tradition seems to have migrated to most other Spanish-speaking countries as well.

Also, in Mexico there is a slight "refinement" from Spain's tradition. Mexicans have to choose what is more important to them. Wearing red underwear lets the owner be lucky in love, wearing yellow underwear makes the owner wealthy in the New Year.

Mayan & Aztec Traditions

This post by Angelica Galicia, Celebrating New Year's Eve in Mexico, also lists a number of other end-of-the-year traditions dating back to the pre-Hispanic times.  (And, if you'd like to practice your Spanish, you can click on the "Spanish" link, right on top of the text.)
As Angelica explains:

"...Most assuredly, the custom called el 'recalentado' (the 're-heated') is a long-standing tradition rooted throughout Mexico, quite in keeping with the festive and generous character of the Mexicans and also with the abundant and delicious national gastronomy. It consists simply of sharing the next morning what was left over from the dinner with either the same or other guests. It is said that the recalentado is even more delicious than the dinner itself …"

Cuba

Cubans also continue with the Spanish tradition of eating twelve grapes before midnight. But they added others that are to give the New Year a fresh start: The Año Viejo doll - burning of a doll, is meant to help forget (burn!) the bad things that happened in the past. And, throwing water on the street (watch out!), similarly, gets rid of bad memories and/or drives out bad spirits.

Many Spanish-speaking countries and communities have added other traditions. However, the grape-eating ritual before midnight seems to be quite universal.
But wherever you are, from midnight on, it's time for toasts, hugs, and well-wishing, champagne, cider (Cuba) or other libations, and often noisemakers and fireworks!

Red Underwear and Italian End-of-Year Traditions

Besides Italy, Italian is also an official language in Switzerland (Ticino & Graubünden), San Marino, and Vatican City, and a second language in Malta, Slovenia, and Croatia, but we know little about particular end-of-year traditions in these regions or countries.­

The fourth-century Catholic pope and saint became associated with New Year's Eve. This was after the reform of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, when the last day of the year became December 31, the day of his death in AD 335.

Italy, where San Silvestro died, obviously has a special relation to the Saint and uses the term "Notte di San Silvestro" (as well as "Vigilia di Capodanno") as names for New Year's Eve.

There are some particular Italian Notte di San Silvestro traditions that you may not know about:

Red Underwear

The most curious tradition must be to wear red underwear during the last day of the year. It is supposed to bring you luck, health, and love. Importantly, a piece of red underwear should have been given to you as a present, for example for Christmas, and you'd be wearing it for the first time on New Year's Eve.

This centuries-old custom, originally just observed by women, is now also being adopted by men! Anything for luck, health, and love, right?

Lentil Stew & Pork Sausage

The San Silvestro dinner, eaten with family and friends, varies quite a bit from region to region, but it often includes fish and seafood.

At midnight when the bells ring, a traditional lentil stew is often eaten, one spoonful per bell, served together with "zampone" (pig's trotter, stuffed with spicy ground-up pork, usually dried and cured) or "cotechino" (a rind-and-pork-meat sausage). The round lentils, representing coins, are supposed to bring wealth and good fortune.

Grapes

Grapes and dried fruit are traditionally served at the end of the dinner. Preserving grapes for the Capodanno dinner - rather than eating them earlier - means that you have willpower and are a frugal person. Everybody at the table eating the grapes will therefore be frugal and wise with their wealth.

Throwing out old "Stuff"

Throwing out of the window unused or unusable stuff - pots, pans, clothes, and kitchen utensils - will "clear the deck" for next year. While few Italians still seem to practice this tradition - it was more prevalent in southern Italy in the past - you may still want to watch you head when celebrating New Year's Eve in Naples and further south.

At midnight, fireworks are also displayed across much of the country and the first day of the year, "Capodanno," is an official holiday in Italy as in many other parts of the world.

Bio: Peter Rettig is the co-founder of Gamesforlanguage.com. He is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact.

Le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre in France

French Speaking Countries

French is the second most widespread language worldwide after English, as only these two languages are spoken on all five continents.

French is an official language in 29 countries, most of which form "la francophonie", the community of French-speaking countries. French is spoken as a first language in France, southern Belgium, western Switzerland, Monaco, and the province of Quebec. It is also an official language in the province of New Brunswick, and spoken in other communities in Canada. 

French is also spoken in communities in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as among educated classes in North Africa, Haiti, French Polynesia and in various communities elsewhere. [Wikipedia]

While particular end-of-year traditions exist in most of these countries, we'll just focus here on France.

France

In France, huge municipal firework displays were not the customary way to usher in the New Year. This has changed however in recent years, and the Eiffel Tower fireworks and light shows in Paris have become quite spectacular.

Nevertheless, French people tend to take things more quietly and celebrate with friends at home or in a restaurant. These New Year's Eve celebrations - le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre - traditionally are a feast that includes plenty of champagne and foie gras or oysters, symbols of prosperity and good fortune.

As in many other countries, the last day of the year in France is named after the fourth-century Catholic pope and saint. This was after the reform of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, when the last day of the year became December 31, the day of Saint Sylvestre's death in 335. [You say "la" Saint-Sylvestre because it's short for "la fête de Saint-Sylvestre."]

Paris

In Paris, the city of lights, New Year's Eve becomes a visual feast: from many vantage points in the city you can see the iconic, illuminated Eiffel Tower.

And, you'll find the biggest New Year's party on the Avenue de Champs Elysées, where hundreds of thousands of people gather to celebrate, wish each other "Bonne année" (Good year), and exchange "bises" (kisses on the cheeks) at the stroke of midnight.

And, you'll find the biggest New Year's party on the Avenue de Champs Elysées, where hundreds of thousands of people gather to celebrate, wish each other "Bonne année" (Good year), and exchange "bises" (kisses on the cheeks) at the stroke of midnight.

In 2014, Paris added a first-time spectacle before the final countdown: a 20-minute video show projected on the Arc de Triomphe, highlighting the Parisian "art of living". This RTL clip lets you practice your French listening skills and you'll learn that not everybody was happy with the show.

If you click on the image on the left you can watch a YouTube clip of the 2014 light show and fireworks.

Due to the recent terror attacks, there is some question about the extent of the official New Year's celebrations in Paris this year. A Less Joyous New Year Tradition...

Even in previous years there were some clouds on the New Year horizon: In 2013, the New York Times wrote about France's Less Joyous New Year's Tradition and in 2014 France24's English site reported as France's odd New Year tradition: Counting torched cars. It noted:

"The infamous custom can be traced to the northeastern city of Strasbourg that straddles France’s border with Germany. Strasbourg, which hosts thousands of tourists who flock to the city for its renowned Christmas market, first began to be blighted by holiday season vehicle arson in the late 1980s. But the phenomenon exploded to alarming levels during the 1990s."

Le Réveillon du Nouvel An

Nevertheless, in spite of such statistics and recent events, I'd be very surprised if the French were not on the streets and celebrating le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre.

Update: This France24 article of December 28, 2015 confirms that the celebrations will indeed take place in Paris, although under heightened security. The Arc de triomphe light show will be reduced to 10 minutes.

On New Year's Day, it's the tradition to have a large family dinner and to give presents to the children as a way to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

The King's Cake

The New Year holiday season comes to an official end on January 5th, Epiphany, the day when it is believed that three wise men presented their gifts to the baby Jesus.

The French celebrate by making a unique kind of cake, the "Galette des rois." In many regions the "galette des rois" is a flat layer of puff pastry filled with almond cream, in other communities, e.g. in the south of France, the "gâteau des rois" is a round brioche with candied fruits and sugar, shaped like a crown.

Common to all versions of the King's Cake, is a small trinket, a plastic or porcelain figurine of the baby Jesus hidden in the cake. The one who finds it (watch out to not swallow or bite on it!) is the king for the the day (and can wear the paper crown, often sold with the cakes).

Young kids obviously love this tradition and families use various rules to ensure a fair distribution of the cake to all.

You'll find more about this tradition in King Cake and its History: From France to Mardi Gras.

Why Worry About Your Language “Learning Style”?

So, you're learning a second language. Are you agonizing about which language program or method would be best to become fluent in French, German, Korean, or even in Mandarin?

And with that, are you thinking about your “learning style”? Does that really make sense?

WHAT ARE LEARNING STYLES?

The concept of individual learning styles became popular in the 1970s and continues to endure. The impetus behind it is the idea that each person learns a little differently. That's an idea that's hard to argue against.

In the 1970s and 80s, the theory of individual learning styles served as a way to get beyond traditional methods of teaching that were textbook-based and heavy on rote memorization.

Even now, the theory of learning styles continues to play a role in educational policy. Where it is applied, classroom teachers are encouraged to adapt their materials to what is assumed to be the learning style(s) of their students.

Though there are various learning-style models, these are the three basic learning styles that are often cited. They define how people PREFER to take in information:     
1. “aural” (using sound and music)
2. “visual” (using pictures, images, spatial understanding)
3. “kinestetic” (using touch, manipulation, gestures)

To these three basic styles, four more have been added:
4. “verbal” (using primarily words)
5. “logical” (using logic, reasoning, systems)
6. “social” (learning with other people, in groups)
7. “solitary” (learning alone, by self-study)

If you're a self-learner, you too may stumble across sites or blogs that encourage you to identify “your learning style.” You're typically told: “That way, you'll learn faster.”

A BEST LEARNING STYLE FOR LEARNING A LANGUAGE? REALLY?

We don't all learn a foreign language the same way. That's absolutely true. There's a myriad of reasons for this. They include our background, knowledge, interests, experience, abilities, lifestyle, etc. 

There's also no question that we as individuals have different preferences. And yes, we have different strengths and weaknesses that impact on learning a foreign language. But should we just learn with our strengths?

It may surprise you that the answer is “NO.” Each of the 7 learning styles mentioned above applies itself very well to foreign language learning. But - think about it - learning and using a language involves ALL of the above ways of acquiring information.

YOU BUILD A SKILL BY PRACTICING IT

I do agree that it's probably a good idea to get started in a language by learning in a way that you prefer. If you favor a certain way of learning (with videos, audios, flashcards, by talking, or by writing, etc.), it may be the best way to get going in your language.

However, it's not a good strategy for really learning a language in the long run. Just think about the answers to the following questions:
- If you just use pictures to learn vocabulary, then how will you master abstract concepts in a foreign language?
- If you just listen to the language, how will you learn how to read and write it?
- If you just study alone, how will you build your social skills in your new language?

In short, the idea of using just your strong learning style(s) ultimately doesn't make much sense when you're learning another language.

Consider this: “Research shows us that each learning style uses different parts of the brain. By involving more of the brain during learning, we remember more of what we learn.”  (See Overview of learning-styles)

What you really want is involve as MANY of your “learning styles” as you can to fully engage your brain. It comes down to this: To function well in a foreign language, you need to learn and use a broad variety of skills.

BUT IF ALL I WANT IS TO LEARN TO SPEAK, NOTHING ELSE?

What if you just want to be able to speak, to converse in the language you're learning. That's all. Okay, you don't want to read, you don't care about grammar rules, you're not interested in writing in the foreign language. Fair enough.

But to have a good conversation, you still need to use several “styles” of taking in and processing information.

- You need to be able to decode the stream of sounds that you're hearing.
- You have to take in and understand the visual signals that you see, interpret your conversation partner's facial expressions and any gestures he or she is making.
- And finally, you have to use correct body language, appropriate facial expressions, and gestures yourself.

Even by just speaking with someone, you're covering all three basic “learning styles”: aural, visual, and kinesthetic. Plus, you're also being social, verbal, and logical (I hope). If you've practiced and can use all of these skills, your conversation will go much more smoothly.

WEAVING YOUR “LANGUAGE SKILL ROPE”   

When learning a language - even just for speaking it - don't just focus on your preferred learning style. A much better approach is to see language learning as a process that involves learning and practicing multiple skills.

Michael Erard, author of “Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners” suggests that language learning is very much like “weaving a rope” that consists of several skill-strands. By weaving them together, you strengthen the rope (or language ability) as a whole.

In his own words: “Ropes, as everybody knows, are made up of multiple strands, and language skills, like other skills, are made up of cognitive, social, and emotional components. Learners have to have those strands modeled, and they also have to be given opportunities to practice weaving those strands together.” (Also see more about language rope weaving in a recent post.)

OUR ADVICE

Rather than worrying about which program or method fits best with your “learning style,” chose the one that engages and motivates you the most.

But then try to maximize your exposure to the target language in as many ways as you can, ideally every day. That is the key to rapid progress.

So, try out and then choose a program that is fun to do and to practice with – even if it does not conform with the way you think you're supposed to learn. And remember: The “best” program is useless, if you don't use it!

Bio: Ulrike Rettig is the co-founder of Gamesforlanguage.com. She is a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact.

Are There Right or Wrong Hand Gestures?

(Image by Andrea Jacobs)
Remember what your mom would say, actions speak louder than words, she was right. From eye contact to posture, nonverbal details reveal who we are and impact how others see you.

Is non-verbal communication important in a conversation? Absolutely, words are important, but it turns out, we communicate most of the meaning of our conversation via body language and gestures.

The way you move, the way you stand and the way you listen tells others whether or not you care about what they are saying. When your words match your body language, they increase trust, clarity and rapport.When they don’t, they trigger tension, distrust and confusion.

Unfortunately, many people send negative and confusing nonverbal signals without even knowing it when speaking with someone from another country. When this happens, both clarity and rapport may be irreversibly damaged.

To become a better communicator, it’s important to become sensitive not only to the nonverbal cues of others, but also to the nonverbal cues you may be sending.

As you can imagine, communicating with someone from your own culture can be challenging but when speaking with a foreigner it can perplexing. Nonverbal communication gestures do not translate across cultures easily and can lead to serious misunderstanding.

While translation systems are available for verbal communication, translators for nonverbal communication do not exist.

Nonverbal communication is composed of facial expressions, body movements, posture, gestures, eye contact, touch, space and voice. We must appreciate and identify that in one country a respectable gesture may mean something completely different in another country. In this article we will focus on 5 different hand gestures that are commonly exchanged:

• “Ok” sign
• Thumbs up
• Finger snap
• Beckoning sign
• Corona

Understanding the different meaning these signs may have in other cultures, will not only enhance your conversation but may keep you out of trouble while talking to someone from another part of the world.

OK Signs

In the US, we use it to convey agreement, it assures people things are fine or when everything is perfect.

In Brazil, Greece and Spain it conveys a different meaning! This sign is used to call someone an a**hole. While visiting Brazil in the 1950’s, Richard Nixon flashed the OK sign to the crowed and they responded with boos!

In Turkey and Venezuela the sign is used as an insult toward gay people.

In France and Australia it means zero or worthless.

Lastly, in Japan this gesture means money.

Thumbs Up

We use this gesture a lot in the US it means it is all great.

But I recommend you do not use it among Middle Easterners and people from West Africa.

People from Bangladesh, Australian and South Americans also find this gesture hideously offensive. It is assumed to mean that you want the receiver to stick it where the sun don’t shine, up yours or sit on it.

Finger Snap

Where I am from in Latin America, snapping your finger meant to hurry up.

In the US and Great Britain, it usually is used when someone remembers something or gets an idea. 

some cultures it used to get someone’s attention but in many cultures it is just rude.

So, to keep it safe, snap your fingers for the same reason the Ancient Greeks did -- to keep the rhythm set by musicians and dancers

Beckoning Sign (come here)

 In the Philippians the beckoning sign is impolite and can be a cause for being arrested.

In the USA it is used often to call someone over here.

Careful by using this gesture in Japan. It is very rude and only fit for a dog and or other animal.

In Singapore, beckoning is an indication of death.

The Corona

This gesture has been adopted by rockers and it is a sign of approval “rock on” for most Americans. Except in Texas, where football fans use it as a sign representing the horns of a bull.

In other cultures, this is not the horn of a bull but instead of the devil and representing evil. In Buddhist and Hindi culture, it means the Karana Mudra which is used to dispel the evil.

Watch out making this gesture in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Portugal and Italy since it is known as the 'Cuckold' and is used to tell a man that other men are enjoying his wife.

In 1985, following the news that Texas Longhorns football team won the football game, five Americans were arrested in Rome for using this gesture outside the Vatican.

We might not have translators for nonverbal communication but we have our phone or computers at our hands to learn and understand the meaning of the gestures we use. So remember before jumping to conclusions about the meaning of a gestures, consider the person’s cultural background. Embarrassing moments can happen as a result of ignorance and by misinterpreting a gesture.

It is always ok to ask people from different countries and cultures about the meaning of rituals, mannerisms and gestures. It is a great topic to discuss with a friend from another country over a cup of coffee and a yummy pastry. There are no wrong and right gestures, only cultural differences.

This post first appeared at LingoHut and Parrot Time Magazine.

Bio: Kendal Knetemann is the founder of  LingoHut where free language lessons, activities and articles are making language learning uncomplicated. Communication is our thing!  Like us on our Facebook page.