An American Thanksgiving in Spain

This year I completely embraced the Thanksgiving tradition!  Luckily, I work at the US Embassy on Thursdays so being an American holiday, all my students got the day off.  Therefore, I did too! I took advantage of the oportunity to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for my roommates and some close friends.

I made several trips to the American store in the Embassy to pick up a few essentials and ordered my turkey from a local butcher.  Turkey isn't as popular here as in the US so we bought only parts of the turkey.  It was easier since there were only 5 of us and faster to cook.

My friend Melissa, a Puerto Rican girl who recently moved to Madrid, was super excited to try a traditional mainland US Thanksgiving meal.  She stopped by my place early in the afternoon to help me cook while all my other roommates were at work.  We cranked Christmas music all afternoon as we were starting the feel the holiday spirit.

By the time my all my roommates got home, it was around 10 o'clock (typical dinner time in Spain).  I put together the table and we all sat around where Nikki and I told stories about our past Thanksgivings back in the United States.  We had to explain what all the food was to our Spanish compadres as they hungrily and confusingly stared at all the rarities on the table.  When everything was out, we went around the table and said what we were thankful for that year.  I said for the opportunity to share my culture and for experiences that I have been blessed to have throughtout my time here in Spain.

Then we dug in everything and went to sleep content and FULL!


That Saturday was also my company's Thanksgiving luncheon. This year we had it at Nicoletta, a really nice Italian resturant. It was fun getting a big group of Americans and non-Americans together to share amazing food, wine and some laughs.





 

After the lunch, a large group of us continued to some pubs and bars where we drank, chatted and danced the night away.

It was yet another interesting Dia de Accion de Gracias and I wouldn't have changed a thing :)

JALOGUIN 2010

I officially survived my first Halloween in Spain. Well, there's really not much to survive as most of what is celebrated comes from the American traditions.  Anyways, last year I wasn't able to take part in Spain's version of Halloween as I was back in Chicago for my aunt's wedding.  So this year, I was really looking forward to see what kind of show Madrid puts on for this event.  I must admit that I had lowered my standards for a few reasons: 1.) Halloween has always been my favorite holiday so I take it very seriously  2.) My university boosts to reputation of having the US's best Halloween! (GO BOBCATS)  3.) I normally spend a minimum of 5 weeks planning out my costume, decorations and plans for that weekend.

I knew that Spain would never come close to my past experiences but I was still looking forward to having a good time.  This year Halloween fell on a Sunday.  For all you Catholics, November 1st is Dia de los Santos (All Saint's Day).  Therefore being in Catholic Spain, that Monday was a national holiday which meant no work. Considering this, my friends and I decided to go out big on Halloween night.  Friday and Saturday I took it pretty easy as I wasn't feeling 100% and I wanted to be well rested for Sunday.

We started rather early at around 4:30 to get ready.  We all met at my friend K's house to do our makeup.  The week before, we discussed our costumes and plans.  Each of us chose an average person like a cop, biker, schoolgirl, ect... then we would ZOMBIE-FY the heck out of it.

You see in Spain, they keep to the original tradition of Halloween where one must dress up as something terrifying- if you decide to dress up at all.  So there are no children dressed as their favorite Disney characters or superheroes, there's no portrayals of our favorite musicians, actors, or other celebreties and there's absolutely no young women dressed in provacative costumes.  All that remains are witches, devils, ghouls and.... zombies!

After we were pale, scabbed and bloodies up, we met some other friends and headed to this abadoned factory that was taken over and turned into a free venue for the weekend.  My friend M is a really good DJ so him and another friend got a space in the factory to play some jams.  This was seriously the perfect place to host a crazy Halloween party.  The factory had been abadoned for what seemed like decaded as all the wall and floors were collapsing around us.  Every inch of the place was covered in spray paint and had random chairs, boxes, and other slightly disturbing random objects.  Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this but for Halloween... it was PREFECT!  To make things better, it was BYOB so we stocked up at the local convenience store before and spent the next 4 hours drinking, dancing and mingling with other ghoulish creatures.

We headed out at about 10 to get a few more drinks and tapas.  As we strolled the streets, almost every person stopped to stare at the spectacle we were.  (Again I must reiterate that Halloween is not anywhere as popular as it is in America)  After, we stopped again at K's house to do make-up touches and eat some dinner.  Then we found more friends and went to a Halloween costume party nearby.  By 1ish, we left to hit some more bars and clubs... most of which I don't really remember.  I took my Zombie-self home around 4am in a taxi wondering why the driver was giving me such weird looks! Then as I got into my apartment building and caught my reflection, I realised how ridiculous I looked. hahaha I had already forgotten that I was covered in zombie gook.  I poured myself in bed with delight at how well that night had been. 

I must say that Madrid definitely beat my expectations I had had for Halloween.  No, it's nothing like America but Spain always knows how to throw one crazy party!

Semana Santa 2010

Semana Santa or 'Holy Week' starts Spain's Spring Break around the time of Pascual or 'Easter'.  Obviously being in 'Catholic Spain', I had some very high expectations.  All week long from the end of March to the beginning of April.  I got a full week off of work which was nice as I was in need a descanso.  I had just come back from Vigo the weekend prior and was planning another trip to Salamanca in the week that followed, so I had a completely empty agenda for this week which was just what the doctor ordered.

I borrowed one of my colleague's Madrid tour books and started to scan through it one day.  I was amazed about how many things in Madrid I had never been to or even knew existed.  So I decided to utilize this time to check out what secrets were hiding in this massive city. 

I must admit that I slept in almost every day and put no urgency to accomplish much of anything.  I enduldged myself with long dinners and copias amounts of drink during this week with some of my friends.  However, I did get around to seeing some pretty awesome things.

One day, Craig, Irene, my amazing Italian roommate and I went for a long stroll around Parque Oeste and the Royal Palace.

Another day was spent at the Soralla Museum only minutes from where I live.

Yet another day was spent in the city that will forever have my heart... TOLEDO!

And the rest were spent cleaning, shopping and general walk-abouts in the centro.

  Me (left) and My Roommate Irene (right)

What I want this blog to be mostly about it the festivities revolving around Semana Santa in Madrid.

I really like this BLOG's review of Semana Santa in Spain... so check it out if you want more info!

One of my goals was to sit in on a Catholic mass in one of Madrid's hundreds of iglesias.  I got that opportunity during my stroll with Craig and Irene.  I intended on going to a small church near my apartment but when we were passing the Cathedral near the Royal Palace and I saw that there was a service going on at that moment, I thought... what the hell! (Sorry for the blasphemy!)

It was also my first time inside the Cathedral here in Madrid so it was quite the experience for me.  We stayed about 20 minutes as the crowds of people left no where to sit.  But I was really moved by the Latin service and choir.  I'm not a religious person by any means but it's still one of those cultural experiences that really have an impact on a person. 

The one event during Semana Santa I knew I couldn't miss was
'La Procession de Silencio'

view from inside the parade heading towards PUERTA DE SOL

It starts near Atocha and continues down towards Sol wraps around and continues back.  It would seem like any normal religion based- Easter parade with exception to some crazy outfits and suprising offerings of penance. Well, I'll let you see for yourself...

Hopefully, I don't have to explain that the outfits have absolutely NOTHING to do with the KKK!

The people are called Nazarenos; they wear these costumes as a way to demonstrate their penatence to heaven.  Every major city in Spain has a different group of Nazarenos that each have their own colored costumes and different ways to distinguish themselves from one another.  It is considered a great honor throughout Spain to become a Nazareno.

The second picture demonstates common people usually members of that group's particular church who want to ask for foregiveness for their sins through this walk of 'disgrace'.  They walk barefoot shackled with chains; the more chains, the more forgiveness you're asking for.  Nowadays, it is a more symbolic tradition. 

Well here are some more photos of the parade to help you get an idea of what a spectacle it was! Enjoy :)

More Christmas Festivals in Spain

Historical Background:

December 28th is 'Día de los santos inocentes' or 'Day of the Innocent Saints' and is very like Aprils Fools Day in the UK and USA. People try to trick each other into believing silly stories and jokes. Newspapers and TV stations also run silly stories. If you trick someone, you can call them 'Inocente, inocente' which means 'innocent, innocent'. 28th December is when people all over the world remember the babies that were killed on the orders of King Herod when he was trying to kill the baby Jesus.

Apart from Christmas, there is another festival that is celebrated in Spain that is about the Christmas Story. It is called Epiphany or Kings' Day and is celebrated on 6th January. This is the twelfth night after Christmas. In Spanish, Epiphany is called 'Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Magos': in English this means 'The festival of the three Magic Kings'. Epiphany celebrates when the Kings or Wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

Children have some presents on Christmas Day, but most are opened at Epiphany. Some children believe that the Kings bring presents to them at Epiphany. They write letters to the Kings on Boxing Day, December 26th, asking for toys and presents. And on Epiphany Eve (January 5th) they leave shoes on windowsills or balconies or under the Christmas Tree to be filled with presents. Gifts are often left by children for the Kings, a class of Cognac for each King, a satsuma and some walnuts. Sometimes a bucket of water is left for the camels that bring the Kings! If the children have been bad, the Kings might leave pieces of coal made out of sugar in the presents!

Some big towns and cities have Epiphany Parades with each King having a big float that is shaped like a camel. Sometimes there are also real camels in the parade. The Three Kings in the the Spanish Epiphany are:

• Gaspar, who has brown hair and a brown beard (or no beard!) and wears a green cloak and a gold crown with green jewels on it. He is the King of Sheba. Gaspar represents the Frankincense brought to Jesus. Frankincense is sometimes used in worship in Churches and showed that people worship Jesus.

• Melchior, who has long white hair and a white beard and wears a gold cloak. He is the King of Arabia. Melchior represents the Gold brought to Jesus. Gold is associated with Kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of Kings.

• Balthazar, who has black skin and a black beard (or no beard!) and wears a purple cloak. He is the King of Tarse and Egypt. Balthazar represents the gift of Myrrh that was brought to Jesus. Myrrh is a perfume that is put on dead bodies to make them smell nice and showed that Jesus would suffer and die.

A special cake called 'Roscón' is eaten at Epiphany. Roscón means 'ring shape roll'. It is very doughy and is bought from a bakery on Epiphany morning. Roscón can be filled with cream or chocolate and contain a little gift.





Personal Experience:

After Christmas and New Years my holiday was abruptly coming to an end. I was preparing for the start of a new semester at work as well as spending as much time enjoying what was left of my vacation. 'Día de los Santos Inocentes' passed without my knowledge. I watched the news the next day as they reviewed some of the celebrity pranks that had occurred. Then I remembered but wasn’t bothered either way.

Los Reyes Magos is a very important holiday here so I anticipated celebrating it in some way. The night before was a huge parade covering half the city; so, a few of teacher’s and I went to watch it then out for a few drinks later that night to watch an important ‘futbol’ match. The days surrounding, I walked around the main center of Madrid and looked at all the decorations and street performers that had all the children eagerly anticipating the 3 King’s arrival. However, my first work meeting of the year was the actual night of the holiday. So I missed most of my roommates’ celebration with the 'Roscón'.

I got a piece of it later that night but didn’t get to experience it in the real Spanish manner. The following day classes began so it was a quick holiday for me. Overall, I feel it is really difficult for a foreigner to truly appreciate this holiday in the true Spanish way. It was fun to see all the families, especially the children, so happy for something other than Santa Claus. It was a nice culture difference but not one that I can really explain to its full importance.

New Decade, New Traditions, New Struggles

New Years is not my favorite theme to write about especially this year. Probably everything that could have gone wrong… did. Not that anyone was to blame; just tons of mishaps and bad coincidences. For starters, I couldn’t make up my mind what I wanted to do. I wanted to travel to Naples, Italy to visit my friend, Brian who is stationed there in the US Navy. However, there are no direct flights from Madrid and I couldn’t be bothered to track down the different journeys I could take to get there. Most of my friends were still in their homelands for the long holiday vacation. Others that didn’t go home were travelling around Europe for the New Year.

I considered travelling but after I checked my bank funds, I realized that it wasn’t the best idea if I wanted to eat the last week of vacation. Luckily, I found out my friend Dave was intending to stay in Madrid after his cousin returned to the US. So we made plans to check out Madrid’s infamous New Year celebration. New Year’s Eve arrived and I woke up early to go but ‘supplies’: basically liquor and grapes. I took a nap and was awaken by my phone ringing. It was Dave telling me that he had come down with something terrible and wouldn’t be able to really do anything that night. I hoped he would come out for at least the countdown but Facebook chat around 9pm told me that he was staying in all night. Of course I wanted to be angry, but I knew it wasn’t his fault. So I scurried around calling anyone that I thought might be in the city… no replies. I complained to my roommates and they told me there plans to hit up a club later. However, when I found out that it cost over 50 euro that shot my hopes all the way down.

So I did the only thing I could think of; I called to cry my sorrows to my best guy friend here in Spain, Dani. We talked for the next hour about how things just happen and life has its ups and downs. He was stuck in his hometown for the night because of Strep throat. After talking to him I realized that things weren’t really that bad. I wasn’t alone on New Years because I had no one; I had had plenty of opportunities to have an amazing New Year. It just was fate that things turned out that way. This thought gave me loads of comfort.

I sat thinking for a bit of what to do. Drink a bottle of wine and watch the countdown on television. Skype with friends back in Chicago for my midnight celebration. Drink a bottle of wine and put in a chick flick. Go out to the streets and watch the madness for myself. I went with the last option. I may not have another New Years in Madrid. Therefore, I decided that fate would not get the best of me. I didn’t need a chaperone to walk around and watch the countdown. So I hurried up and got dressed, took my 12 grapes, my camera, a kick ass attitude and walked to La Puerta de Sol where Madrid’s (Spain’s for that matter) biggest New Years countdown takes place.

As I got closer, I knew I was in for a wild ride. Walking down the side streets a few blocks from Sol, I could already here the hoards of drunks, bottles breaking, fireworks bursting and street venders quaking. Once I turned onto the main street, I was met by thousands of people from all over the world. I tried to make my way through the shoulder to shoulder, sardine packed crowds. I got about 150 feet before I realized that I was in over my head. I found a corner just behind the El Corte Ingles entrance to La Puerta de Sol. I feverishly took pictures while I had a little extra personal space. But within minutes that space was overtaken by people. I can’t even explain the spectacle. Groups of drunks pushed their ways through the crowds causing quite a disturbance like that of a stampede. I saw one little girl, probably 6 years old, get separated from her parents in the crowd. I saw an old man fall and nearly get trampled. I saw a street vender get ripped off by 2 guys as he tried to push his cart through the swarms of people. Add 3 more fights, glass bottles getting shucked into the masses and a fallen police barricade then you can picture my first 30 minutes in Sol.

I really didn’t have time to be sad and wallow in self-pity because I was too worried about dying! Haha Suddenly, I heard big explosions of cheer as I looked at my watch and saw that it was 11:59 (23.59 in the European style). I quickly turned on my camera and took a video of the countdown. Midnight struck and complete chaos broke out; luckily it was happy, cheerful chaos. Champaign bottles burst open, fireworks exploded, music blared and people all embraced one another. I stood there for a few minutes and gazed around. It was going to be one eventful year… I knew it already. I then saw my chance to escape through the crowds and took it to walk around a bit more. Of course, even with the new decade I was cat-called and “Guapa-ed” galored by not only Spaniards but pretty much every drunken male in the vicinity. Why should anything be different in 2010?

Enjoy the video from youtube that I found:

I took a few more pictures and wandered back home. When I arrived it was about 1a.m already. One of my roommates and his friends were still at my place which made me happy to see some familiar faces. However, what surprised me was that I was met by a completely changed roommate.

Paul had shoulder length curly hair when I left for the night and when I came back, it was all gone. We had a good laugh for about 10 minutes. They left a bit after to hit the club after making sure I didn’t want to join. I was feeling quite content with life at this point so I happily declined. I had almost forgotten about my 12 uvas. I quickly took them out and ate each one slowly thinking of my New Year’s Resolutions. Dani called me a few minutes later and we talked about what I had just been through in Sol. After we hung up, I curled into bed and swiftly drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t exactly the New Year I had envisioned. But I’m proud of myself for not letting a bad turn of events start the new decade off on the wrong foot. 2010 has a lot of hidden potential for me and I plan on not wasting a single second of it! Feliz Año Nuevo a Todos!

The Christmas Spirit

Having just been back to the US in late October for my aunt’s wedding, I knew that it wouldn’t be in my budget to return for Christmas. I didn’t spend too much time thinking about what I would do till a few weeks prior to the holiday. I started asking around to see who would still be here. To my surprise, a vast amount would be returning to their homelands this holiday- a larger majority than previous years. Others that were staying in Spain were spending it with their spouses or novios. So a bit of panic set in that I would spend Christmas completely alone!

Well, a few weeks before Christmas, I went out to celebrate my friend Emilio’s birthday. There I started talking to Polly, and she told me that her and her roommates would be throwing a big bash and I was more than welcome to come. Seizing the opportunity, I told her to put my name on the guest list. Soon I got the official facebook invite and found out all about the shenanigans that would ensue for this festivity. It would be a 3 day bash filled with gifts, food, booze and other delightful pleasures.

Glad to have that weight off my shoulders, I continued with my classes and found that holiday cheer I was looking for.  The ladies of ALA did our own Secret Santa the weekend before classes ended.  We all met at this authentic Spanish retuarant where we shared delicious food and plenty of red wine.  Towards the end we all went around and choose a gift from another one of the girls.  I got this really cute scarf with a matching braclete.  After dinner, we went to a nearby bar where we drank and danced until early morning. 

Finally, it was the last week of classes and Christmas was a few days away. My last classes consisted of holiday music, review games and Christmas crosswords followed by ALA’s infamous holiday party. We took our students there for the last 20 minutes of class to have some goodies, drink coffe (or Jeff’s magical punch) and hand out small gifts. I even had to dress up as Santa a few times which my students got a big kick out of. (Hopefully I’ll get my hands on some of those pictures to add on here later!)

Next few days past quickly and suddenly it was Christmas Eve. I spent it watching movies at home recovering from a nasty hangover I was sporting from the night before hand. I slept in and around 2ish, Skyped with my family as the kids opened their Santa gifts. That was probably the best part of the day.  I had bought most of my gifts when I visited in October and the others I bought online and had them delivered to my home in Chicago.  So I was able to watch them open my gifts.  Gotta love technology.  At the end, they all gathered and sang to me "We wish you a Merry Christmas!" It was the best gift I could have recieved!

I got ready and headed over to the holiday party where I was met by a feast. These ladies certainly went out their way with the meal. It was the best I’ve eaten here in Spain in quite some time.

We sat around drinking absurd amounts of wine, telling holiday and non-holiday stories, playing our country’s traditional holiday music. I got there a few hours later than everyone else, so I had a lot of catching up to do in the drinking department which was a challenge that I happily accepted. Time passed rather gingerly as I became acquainted with new faces. Then it was time for presents!

We did a Grab Bag where we pulled 2 different names from a tin and had to buy small gifts for each (about 10 euros/person) and we also had to get a generic gift (about 5 euro). This was harder for me because I knew only a handful of people that would be attending this party. Luckily, one of the names I drew was Robert, a guy I had met several times through our mutual friends. However, the second name was Joe whom I had never met. So that was going to be a bit more difficult. I cheated a bit and talked to Luke to find out something about my Secret Santa guys. I found out that Robert likes most things but also is a sucker for a great cigar… 1 Habana Cigar coming up. I found out Joe was a comic book artist… 1 fancy-schamncy pencil at your service. I walked around a few small shops looking for a generic, non-gendered gift and couldn’t find anything. So where do I end up but El Corte Ingles. Looked around for a bit and went with a 2-disc version of the movie Airplane! Classic and in my price range. SOLD!

We did the generic gifts first where I got these really cute little candles and a book. Then we did our Secret Santa where I got really nice lotion and an adorable makeup mirror that I put right next to my bed. After that, time went very quickly as the wine set in. My friend Dave stopped by for a few minutes to say hello; he was spending Christmas with a friend and her family. But it was nice to see a familiar face. I eventually fell asleep on a random couch about 3am. Others didn’t last that late as they had been drinking a lot longer than I was. I woke up late morning and stumbled to the metro with my goodies and slept the most of the day away. I Skyped with my grandmother the next day as I opened her gifts that she actually sent to me around Thanksgiving. So they were sitting on my dresser taunting me for weeks. She gave me  really cute teal sweater dress (that I wore to the Christmas party) and some really pretty jewelry.

The next few days were spent with Dave and his cousin that was visiting from Chicago. I played tour guide but I think I enjoyed myself more than they did. Living here, I’m embarrassed to go to the real touristy spots. However, when a friend/relative is visiting, you’re given free reign to look like a foreigner. So I gladly tagged along to Flamenco shows and tapa nights and walks to the museums before hitting up the local bar scene.

Meanwhile, I was anxiously and nervously waiting for my family’s Christmas gift. My mother sent them to Spain on December 8. When I still hadn’t received them by the 28th, I was a little concerned. I took a trip to the post office and they told me that the package was detained in customs for 2 weeks (leave it to my mother to pack batteries when it clearly says “No Batteries!”) But I received it the next day and eagerly opened it! Probably some of the most clever and very-appreciated gifts I’ve ever gotten. There was a cute stocking filled with everyday things like lotion, toothbrushes, nail kit, etc. Then I pulled out the MagicJack (coolest gift EVER) and a landline phone to go with it. Also, I got a beautiful bracelet and a coach purse (Whoa! Definitely got spoiled… first brand-name purse I’ve ever owned!), a cute new wallet with a hundred dollar bill (so when I told my mom thanks I said “Yeah, and thanks for the 66 euro in the wallet”… a little currency exchange humor for you!!!), and last but certainly not least: a NEW CAMERA (I bought this really nice camera right before I left for Spain which I am still paying off the credit card for it… then what happens? My friend drops it and no more camera!!! So I have been absolutely lost without one for the past 3 months. This was definitely a life saver).

Overall, it had a very nice Christmas. It was drama free and simple. I got to see the best parts of other cultures while not missing out on time with my family. I remember stating in my Thanksgiving blog how I didn’t think Christmas would be as smooth as Thanksgiving. Now I have to say that it beat all my expectations!

Gluglu Gluglu… Gobble Gobble

The months are passing ever so quickly here in the Land of Torros. The weather turned from scorching to bitter cold in a matter of weeks. However, there’s just something magical about Madrid during the winter.

But anyhow, onto the issue at hand: Thanksgiving. I pondered how I would feel my first BIG holiday away from home. Sure I’ve missed birthdays and smaller holidays but nothing as big as Thanksgiving. As I hope all of you know, Thanksgiving is something particular to the ‘New World.’ The US celebrates it the end of November while other surrounding countries like Canada celebrate it in October. That Thursday I made all my classes a ‘Thanksgiving’ theme. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that many Spaniards are familiar with this American holiday, especially the US version. The majority know about the ‘Natives’ and how the Americanos stuff themselves silly with yummy treats. Some even think of Thanksgiving as the day when Americans go crazy at the shopping malls, punching and pushing each other for color televisions. I simply had to fill in some of the English vocabulary. A few days prior, my grandmother forwarded me a cute little poem that I printed out and used as a fun warm-up activity with my students:

T’was the night of Thanksgiving,
But I just couldn’t sleep.
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned,
The dark meat and white.
But I fought the temptation,
With all of my might.

Tossing and turning,with anticipation.
The thought of a snackbecame infatuation.
So I raced to the kitchen,
Flung open the door,
And gazed at the fridge,
Full of goodies galore.

I gobbled up turkey,
And buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots,
Beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling,
So plump and so round.
‘til all of a sudden,
I rose off the ground.

I crashed through the ceiling,
Floating into the sky,
With a mouthful of pudding,
And a handful of pie.
But I managed to yell
As I soared past the trees
Happy eating to all,
Pass the cranberries, please!!

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
May your pies take the prize
And May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!

I continued with my classes in the normal matter. The teachers and I did our part of complaining to each other; knowing that our families were all together back in the States with a sweet potato in one hand and a turkey leg in the other while we were in Spain teaching superlatives and participles as adjectives. We also joked with the non-American (USA) teachers about how lucky they were not to feel so tortured by this day. I went to bed a little sad but overall, I felt like I represented Thanksgiving well in Madrid.

That Saturday, my academy was having a special Thanksgiving Luncheon (also called the 20th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall falling Celebration for all the non-US teachers haha). We met at Fass, this nice little German restaurant in Madrid. We choose our dish the week prior. It wasn’t my mother’s turkey or stuffing but it was nice to celebrate as a big group. We could choose from Beef Stroganoff to Cochillo to other traditional German dishes. Plus the beer and wine followed pretty steadily all during the meal.


(left down to right down)
Miguel, Stephanie, Kelsey, Stephen
Michelle, Cat, Martin, Christine

Danny, David, Nikki and Tim

Left to Right:
Isabel, Virginia, Maria, Giselle, Tisha, Craig's head

Devin, Eric and Dan

Jose Maria, Jeff and Jerry

Many of the teachers ended the celebration with a little bar crawl that lasted till the wee hours of the morning. I however missed out on the afterhours because I got a call to give a private lesson for right after lunch. I was hesitant but when the guy offered me 30 euro an hour, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. So all in all, it wasn’t an overly exciting Thanksgiving but I figured it would be a lot more painful. I emailed my family the following days asking what I had missed. They told me that it was an average holiday, nothing too exciting which in a way made me happy that I didn’t miss too much. My mother told me some funny stories of her Black Friday which I always find entertaining. Hopefully Christmas will go over as smoothly but somehow I don’t think I’ll be so lucky.

La Virgen de la Paloma

One of Madrid's oldest and most celebrated fiestas, the Virgen de la Paloma, begins on August 11th and culminates on the 15th.

The fiesta has taken place since the 18th century in the Plaza de las Vistillas, which itself is an excellent example of old Madrid.Behind the celebration of the Virgen de la Paloma - which translates as the Virgin of the Doves - is the story of Maria Isabel Andrea Tintero, who healed one of the children of Queen Maria Luisa.

To this day, the climax of the fiesta remains the procession of a statue of the Virgin of the Doves, carried by the city council firemen from the Plaza de las Vistillas and through the streets and squares of the surrounding area.

However, the celebrations start much earlier than that, with events beginning four days before. Concerts, dancing and street performances can be found on every corner. The event remains a traditionally Spanish feel, with many of the locals dressing in Madrileño costume. Visitors can observe the men and women of the region dancing the chotis as they wear Chulapo outfits and shawls respectively.

http://www.fiestas-de-madrid.com/

Personal Experience:

Well as usual, I didn’t know any of the background of this holiday before I wrote this blog. I just knew that it was another excuse for dressing up, heavy drinking and dancing in the streets of Spain. This particular fiesta is special to Madrid. At the time, I was still living in Toledo but I knew from the stories I was hearing that I had to take part in at least one night of La Paloma. I finished out my work week and returned to Toledo. The next day I made plans to meet up with one of my colleagues, Luke, that I was quickly becoming friends with. I hopped the late morning bus back to Madrid and took the metro to Luke’s barrio. I met up with a bunch of his friends that I had met some weeks earlier when they came to visit me in Toledo. We went back to Will’s place and relaxed because they were still recovering from the previous night’s festivities.
When night fell, we hit up a small bar for some tapas and drinks then met up with some more of his friends. The streets were already becoming more and more crowded by the minute.

The small group of us went to a nearby ‘chino’ to get our take in beverages for the night as this is one of the few occasions where excessive alcohol consumption is completely ignored by authorities. We roamed the streets of La Latina with our full cups of calimocho as I took in every second of the insanity. We did the cultural part and stopped by one of the churches that held a procession for the religious ceremonies. I love Spain’s deeply rooted religious undertones to all their holidays; they definitely haven’t been overtaken by the novelty business as the US has been.

After I took my fill of touristy pictures, we found a corner to rest on while we drank and socialized. There were people in traditional dress, actors in full-costume, drunken tourists running around and wide-eyed children taking in the spectacle. Around midnight there was an amazing firework display. After our bag of drinkable goodies was gone, the group and I walked back to the main plaza where we hunted down some more beer. We sat in the plaza until early morning with groups on Spaniards drinking, dancing and signing along with hardcore “American pop.” Haha

A few of us staggered our way back to Will’s where we crashed around 6 am. Luke and I went out to this pretty tasty Indian place the next morning and by mid afternoon I was back in Toledo trying to recall the madness that happened in the last 24 hours. Definitely 2 thumbs up for La Virgen de la Paloma.