Twelfth Night

The night of the 5^th to 6^th of January is Twelfth Night, and every year the Three Wise Men of Orient bring gifts to those children who have been good during the year. For that, during the Christmas, children should send a letter to the Wise Men with the gifts they want to receive and the merits that the have made during the year to deserve them. The Three Wise Men and their assistants, the pages, will carefully read the letter of each child and they will give him/her those gifts that they would think better for each child.

On December 24^th, after the birth of Jesus, the Magi, which came from the East, will follow the Star of Bethlehem that will guide them to pay homage to Jesus and offer him the following gifts: gold (as a symbol of kingship on earth), frankincense (as a symbol of deity), and myrrh (as a symbol of his future suffering and death).

And after paying homage him they would go towards to deliver the gifts to all children in the world.

As you can imagine, that night, the Magi have a lot of work, since they have to deliver many gifts for just one night, and despite being wizards, they appreciate a little help, so we have to put our shoes on the window so that the Magi and their pages can quickly find those homes with children who have asked gifts. As they would be tired, sure they appreciate that you leave a glass of water for them and milk for their camels.

So you know, write your letter for the Magi as soon as possible, and the night of January 5^th put your shoes on the window. Do not forget to leave something for them and their camels!

We wish you a magical Twelfth Night!

Do you want to see all our posts related to the Twelfth Night? Click here

Read More

New Year's Eve

New Year’s Eve is one of the most magical nights of the year, when we hope that many of our desires will be fulfilled and our luck will be better with the begining of the New Year. So we transmit all kind of rituals from generation to generation that we insist on doing, however strange it may seem, since it is always funny to do them, even more when the group of the people is large.

There are so many rituals that circulate throughout the world that I think it is best to organize them to know what we have to do before midnight, just at midnight, and immediately thereafter:

To receive the New Year:

1.- Clean your house: this ritual brings new and positive energy.

Clean thoroughly your house, through out everything old and deteriorated, so that at the stroke of 12 midnight your home receives in good condition the New Year, reflecting how your new year will be.

2.- Lemons: eliminate the envy and bad energies.
In the corners of your home place lemons cut in four parts overnight, and those will remove negative energies and the envy and will bring harmony.

3.- Bath: it purifies the soul and attracts positive energy.

Get ready to welcome the new year with a bath with essences: roses attract love, cinnamon attracts passion, tangerine attracts prosperity and money, chamomile brings soul healthy, sea salt gets away envy and sandalwood gets away the negative energy.

4.- Underwear: attracts love, luck and clothing.

If you want to attract love you should wear red underwear, and if you want luck it will be yellow. Note that you can not buy that underwear for you, you must receive it as a gift and you should wear it for the first time.

If you want not to lack clothes for the new year, you should wear it inside-out.

5.- Candles: attract different desires, depending on the color:

Before midnight light candles of different colors to welcome the New Year with them on. Each color brings a different desire:

Red: attracts love and passion;

Yellow and gold: attract money and abundance;

Green: attracts health;

White: attracts peace and harmony;

Orange: attracts energy and career success.

6.- Lights: attract clarity and eliminate the dark energies.

Receive the midnight with all the lights of your house on, those will remove the dark energies and lies from the New Year.

7.- Sheep: attracts wealth and abundance.

Before midnight give a small wook sheep to your guests and it will provide them good luck and fortune. It is best to leave it hanging from the doorknob throughout the year, especially since 2015 is the Chinese Year of the Sheep.

8.- Tickets: attract economic prosperity.

It is recommended you have money in your wallet, pocket and shoes, to start the New Year with money. Tradition says that it is better to have bills than coins.

At midnight:

9.- Twelve  grapes: attract your desires, luck and prosperity.

During the last seconds of the year you must eat a grape at each stroke, one for each month of the year, while you make a wish for each grape. And if you are able to eat the 12 grapes your will have a prosperous year.

10.- Windows: eliminate negative energy and bad luck.

Receive the New Year with open windows, that lets out the bad luck and enter the positive energy.

11.- Water: gets away tears.

At the stroke of midnight throw a glass of water to the streets to ward off sadness and tears.

12.- Right foot: attracts luck.

Start the New Year stepping with the right foot just after the midnight, to begin "a good start" year.

13.- Broom: clears out the negative energy.

At midnight sweep your house from indoors to outdoors, and that will eliminate negative energy and jealousy.

After midnight:

14.- The first toast of the year: attracts luck and happiness.

To attract luck and money for the New Year you should toast with all attendees with a gold ring in the glass.

If the wine is sparkling, bubbles will attract happiness, and if the ring is a wedding ring it will bring stability to the couple.

Do not take out the gold ring before drinking it completely and before hugging all your guests right after.

15.- Luggage: Brings travels in the New Year.

If you want to travel more, after midnight, you should go out with a suitcase (no matter if empty) and walk around the block. The farther you get farther your trips will be. If you can not go outside, take out your suitcase outdoors.

  

16.- Lentils: Attract food and luck.

Immediately after the first toast of the year, eat at least a spoonful of lentils. You will not lack food or good luck.

17.- Coins: attract economic prosperity.

Keep 12 coins in your pocket and toss them after midnight to bring good fortune for the coming year.

We wish you a Happy New Year and may all your wishes come true!!

Do you want to see all our posts related to New Year's Eve? Click here

Read More

Christmas

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. It is time of reunion and celebrations with family and friends but also of solidarity of those most in need.

On Christmas Eve, the night of December 24, the day before Christmas is celebrated. Traditions vary from country to country, but it is quite common a family reunion dinner and exchange gifts. The night of 24 to 25, Santa Claus brings gifts to children.

Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25 and commemorates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in the Catholic Church, Anglican Church, in some Prostestant Communities and in the most of the Orthodoxes Churches.

The nativity represents the birth of Jesus by a mockup of Bethlehem and its vicinity, in which the main figures are the stable where Jesus was born, the Holy Family, animals, shepherds and the Three Wise Men.

Another typical decoration is the Christmas Tree, symbolizing the love of God and has its origin in Germany where the evangelist St. Boniface stablished the tradition.

And last but least, another typical and essential elements are Christmas carols and songs. Christmas carols refers to the birth of Christ and the Holy Family and the songs refers to Christmas. Next you will find the link to one of my favorite songs "All I want for Christmas is you" of Mariah Carey. Hope you like it and Merry Christmas!!

If you want to see all our posts about Christmas, click here.

Read More

Thanksgiving Day

The Thanksgiving Day is a traditional celebration of the United States and Canada. In the United States it is held every year on the fourth Thursday of November and in Canada on the second Monday in October.

The origin of this celebration was to celebrate with a feast the good harvest obtained and over time it has become a regular tradition.

Most people in United States celebrate this event with family gatherings in their homes where they prepare a feast. The traditional main course for dinner is a great roared or baked turkey. This turkey is usually accompanied with a stuffing made from cornbread and sage and it is traditionally served with jelly or cranberry sauce.

That same day, a parade takes place on the streets of Manhattan organized by Macy's store chain that attracts millions of people to the Broadway street to see the huge giant gallons and the performances of the guest artists.

Most businesses and offices are closed on this day. However, some stores, shopping centers, restaurants and bars stay open.

The following Friday to this event is the traditional opening of the christmas' shopping season. This day is known as Black Friday which stores and shops offer bargain prices and many people go from early morning.

If you want to see all our posts about Thanksgiving, click here.

Read More

International Inventor's Day

On 9 November the International Inventors' Day is celebrated in honour of Hedy Lamarr, an engineer in telecommunications and an actress (starred in more than 30 films), who invented the frequency-hopped spread spectrum (that is a method of transmitting digital and radio signals to both transmitter and receiver).

While in the US the Day of National Inventors is celebrated on February 11^th, the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison, an entrepreneur and inventor of over a thousand patented inventions, among the best known inventions are the bulb and the phonograph.

February 17^th is the day chosen by Mexico to celebrate the Inventors' Day, in honour of Guillermo González Camarena, the inventor of the colour television.

On April 23^rd, the Inventors' Day is celebrated in Bolivia, and in Argentina takes place the 29^th of September, the latter in honour of José Ladislao Biro, the inventor of the ballpoint pen.

Today more than ever "not everything is invented", so we encourage you to develop and implement such a great idea that you have.

Which is your idea?

Do you want to see all our posts related to the International Inventor's Day? Click here

Read More

Halloween

Do you know how are you going to celebrate Halloween this year? If not, I hope that after this post you already know it.

But first of all, let us tell you a bit of the history of this celebration.  The word "Halloween" comes from the the english expression "All Hallows Eve".

Halloween has a celtic origin with more than 2.500 years old. The 31st of october was the last day of the year in the celtic calendar. That last day was supposed that the spirits came out of the cemetery and take over the bodies of the living to resurrect,  asking for food and cursing. They were victims of spells if they did not do their requests: trick or treat.

To avoid it, the Celts decorated their houses with bones, skulls and nasty decorations so that the dead pass by.

Around 1846, european immigrants brought to USA this tradition. However, since 1920 it was not started to strongly celebrate through the first Halloween parade in Minnesota. 

Now, following you will find different and diverse activities to do in Halloween:

• Halloween run: Are you afraid? Well...run, run! No doubt that this activity is aimed at sports enthusiasts. If you like running, being scared and you are in Madrid, you can´t not miss the next event organized by Runner's World. In the following link you will find all the information related this race (hallowenrun).

• Workshop pumpkins:This activity is aimed for the smaller at the house  in which they will enjoy a lot making their own pumpkins. Sure in many cities and towns in your country this kind of activity will take place so just find it. 

• Fancy dress party: for teenagers and in which you can´t go without an appropriate fancy dress and a scary make-up. In the following link you will find some ideas to find your scary look (makeup and fancy-dress).

• Halloween party at home: Invite some friends at home and terrify them through Halloween stories. In the following link you will find some recommendations (halloweenstories). Besides, in the posts that we will publish during this week, we will help you with the rest of details to prepare this party: decoration, dessert and drink.

And last but not least, do not forget to buy a lot of sweets to be ready when someone knocks at the door and you are asked: trick or treat? If I were you I will say treat....

Do you want to see all our posts related to Halloween? click here

Read More

Autumn - One season and five plans

We are right in the fall season, and the red and ochre colours fill the streets, and even houses, because it's time to start lighting the fireplaces, softly, not to heat the home, but only because we feel like it, because we are in Autumn and we enjoy those romantic and warm orange tones that only fire of fireplaces or candles is able to provide.

This is definitely one of our favourite seasons, when it is not still too cold in the streets and you can still enjoy fantastic walks outdoors. So we recommend you to go out to enjoy some route through small towns that you have near your town, “armed” with your camera on hand. Discover incredible colours that will give you the feeling of being in a completely different place where you had been in another season.

There are many things you can do there:

1.- Go to gather mushrooms. If you do not know how to discern which are edible and which are not, you can use them to decorate your home and enjoy mushrooms in a restaurant of the area.

2.- Use the chance to buy directly to the farmers seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as pumpkins, grapes, chestnuts, spinach or broccoli.

3.- Enjoy the grape harvest and other wine festivals.

4.- Go cycling the paths fully covered with brown leaves.

5.- Spend the afternoon gazing at the pleasant landscapes that nature offers us.

Nice Autumn!

Do you want to see all our posts related to the Autumn? click here

Read More

Columbus Day

On October 12th, the Columbus Day is celebrated where the discover of America by Spain is commemorated.

It is celebrated in 20 countries but with different names and meanings, here you are some examples:

• In Spain, it is called "Fiesta Nacional" and it is celebrated with a large military parade in which the King with his royal family and also the Ministers attend;

• In México, it is called "Día de la Raza" as in most of the  Latin America countries and people presents their wreaths at the monument to the race;

• In Costa Rica, as in other Caribbean locations, there are Carnivals;

• In Colombia, it is mainly celebrated from school with events in which students represent the history and the significance of this day in history;

• In USA, it is called "Columbus Day" for honoring Christopher Columbus who is credited with the discover of America on his first voyage in 1492. It is celebrated with a large parade through the street of the Big Apple; government offices and public schools are closed.

Although in some Latin America countries this celebration has negative connotations, we encourage you to celebrate this day without any controversy and from the most sincere affection and respect.

Read More

San Fermin 2014 Festival

Only five days left to San Fermin 2014 Festival! The beginning of the festivities will take place on July 6th at 12:00 am with the traditional "txupinazo" and the end of them took place on July 14th at 12:00 pm with the traditional song "Pobre de mí" (Poor me).

During this week, 443 events are scheduled, most of them are related to music: concerts, bands and dance festivals. Besides, there will also be events related children, bullfighting and sporting. To follow every day what happens, here you are the link of the program (Program 2014).

Read More

Magic

The magic is defined as a performing art, or show skill and ingenuity, which consists in making effects that are wonderful and inexplicable appearance, but it is unknown how they are produced.

From childhood, magic has surprised us with their spectacular tricks and secrets, which is why it is one of the best shows you can see, it allows space to the imagination, see different things and enters the viewer into an unexpected world full of fantasy and dreams that remain forever in the mind.

"People who do not believe in magic, they will never find it".- Roald Dahl

Read More

The magical night of Saint John

In many regions of Europe people celebrates the magical night of Saint John, which begins the night of 23 to 24 June at 24.00h. 

This is a pagan celebration, where bonfires and fires are lit to celebrate the arrival of summer. 

The longest night of the year is full of magic, legends and desires which are granted to those people who jump 7 times over the fires, which are lit throughout the night, or after getting into the sea and jump the waves 7 times. 

On this night, full of superstitions, fire and water conspire to fulfill the wishes of all those who follows the rituals of the area in which they are located. 

This is one of the celebration we like, so this week we will propose some ideas to celebrate this amazing night as it deserves!

Do you want to see all our posts related to the Night of Saint John? Click here

Read More

Waterfalls

With this heat the best option is a dip either in the swimming pool, the sea, the river and......why not? in a waterfall!

Then we recommend you visit the following waterfalls which are three of the most famous in the world:

1) Angel Falls: in Venezuela, with 979 meters high, is the highest waterfall in the word.

2) Niagara waterfalls: on the river Niagara, located on the border between U.S. and Canada with a fall of 52 meters.

3) Victoria Falls: on the Zembezi river, located on the border of Zambia and Zimbawe with a drop of 108 meters.

Read More

Summer begins!

Next June 21st the summer begins in the northern hemisphere and with the first full moon of June the honeymoon comes!

That is called a honeymoon because this full moon is the best time to harvest honey from beehives.

And we know the trip of those just married as "honeymoon" because, in some traditions, the newlyweds ate food and drinks with honey,during their first month of marriage, to encourage love and fertility.

This is the time when the northern hemisphere of the Earth is closest to the Sun, the days are longer and the plans are many: pools are open, also the beach bars, the summer cinema, terraces... and the holidays begin! 

So this week we will propose you some fresh ideas to enjoy this season!

Do you want to see all our posts related to Summer? Click here

Read More

European Music Day

We encourage you to celebrate next June 21 the European Music Day that coincides with the summer solstice. The first time that it was celebrated was in 1982 in France and three years later, in 1985, it was established as a european celebration.

Its aim is to promote music in two ways: first, the amateur musicians voluntarily go play outside and the second is by organizing free concerts in which public has the opportunity to see their favorite artists.

Here you are some links of free concerts that will take place in some european countries: Spain (Telemadrid), Greece (visit Greece), England (Party Earth) and France (Fete de la musique).

Finally, here you are some photos about my favorite instrument and a video of one of my favorite song : "Music was my first love" by John Miles. Enjoy it!

Read More

Brazil

Brazil is in vogue, this summer we have the Fifa World Cup and in 2016 the Olympic Games. It is a country which triumphs due to its beauty, people, happiness and food.

Flag with three colors, green, yellow and blue, over 200 million people and over 8.5 million km2, Brazil is an exciting country that is not left indifferent to anyone who is so lucky to discover it.

The most popular places are many, including:

• São Paulo (capital of Brazil) and its fantastic beaches;
• Rio de Janeiro, with its world famous Carnival, Christ the Redeemer and Copacabana Beach;
• Florianopolis, very much appreciated for its beaches and food (especially seafood);
• Also Iguazu Falls, Porto Alegre, Recife (the Brazilian Venice), etc..

But since this summer the priority is football, here you are some songs of the World Cup, to start warming up the rhythm.

Do you want to see all our posts related to Brazil? Click here

Read More