The Spanish Princess: Who Was Catherine of Aragon?
When you think of a Spanish princess, what do you imagine? Catherine of Aragon may not be the first one to pop into your mind. Catherine’s life is depicted in books, novels, films, and in the recent TV mini-series, The Spanish Princess. But how accurate are these depictions of her life? In this blog post, we’ll take a trip back in time to revisit Catherine’s fascinating story and...Read More
History and Significance of Ash Wednesday in Latin America
February and March are the months of Carnival and Lent, and the one day that separates them: Ash Wednesday. The history of Ash Wednesday goes back to the times of the Roman Empire, and it’s full of interesting details and strong symbols. This important Christian celebration was brought to Latin America by Spanish and Portuguese conquerors 500 years ago. Keep reading to learn...Read More
Mardi Gras in Latin America: Carnival and Hispanic Culture
Mardi Gras is upon us! The festivities have arrived. Every year, they bring plenty of color and celebrations around the world. If you’re not familiar with Mardi Gras and its origins, it’s a Christian holiday that dates back thousands of years ago to pagan spring and fertility rites. Today, Mardi Gras is a cultural phenomenon. In Hispanic culture, Mardi Gras is known as...Read More
The Best Spanish Language Advertisements You Might Have Missed
Spanish language advertisements tend to be quite memorable. In fact, the Spanish-speaking world is responsible for coming up with some of the wittiest, funny, and informative marketing campaigns in the world. Do you remember those days before Netflix and Youtube? Advertisements used to reach consumers in different ways. As society evolves, companies are meant to do the same and come up...Read More
What is Neutral or Standard Spanish and Why Does the Media Use It?
Have you ever heard the term “Standard Spanish” or “Neutral Spanish”? If you’re learning Spanish as a second language and you look through resources online, it is likely that you’ve come across this term. Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world. Approximately 572 million people speak Spanish today! Not only that, but it is also the third most used language on the internet....Read More
Which Languages and Cultures Influenced Spanish?
Consistent exchange between other languages and cultures has evolved Spanish to an expressive, rich, and diverse language. It’s continuously growing in different regions and as a language it’s alive and thriving. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the relationship the Spanish language has to other cultures and languages, a long-time connection that’s facilitated shared knowledge and...Read More
International Day of Women and Girls in Science in Spanish
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Why do we need to make a special day to celebrate it? What’s there to celebrate? How did it all start? If you think “scientist” what image comes to your mind? How many women scientists can you mention right now? Are men more naturally inclined toward scientific studies? Are there any degrees that suit women better? What do you...Read More
Exploring the 17 Spanish Regions: Maps, Flags, and GDP
Spain contains many different Spanish regions, each with their own cultural nuances. Even though all of the Spanish regions fly under the same flag, each has its own identity that carries over even outside of Spain! I was lucky enough to meet lots of Spaniards from different regions such as Andalucía, Madrid, and Murcia, and they each had different accents when they...Read More
The Definitive Vocabulary List on Politics in Spanish
Over the last 6 months I have been discussing politics in Spanish on a daily basis and I am currently living in Portugal! Why? To be more specific, I am teaching in Madeira, a Portuguese island with a strong relation to Venezuela. Many years ago, a large group of people emigrated to Venezuela from this island, and now they’re slowly returning. For this reason, there’s a huge Spanish-speaking...Read More