We started off this week with Valentine’s Day, or “El Día del Amor y la Amistad” in Mexico. Of course, most of us are familiar with celebrating love on this day with gifts or romantic gestures, but how did Valentine’s day come to be?
Jim and May run down the list of stories surrounding the origin of Valentine’s Day.
Out of the foods that we know and cherish today, how many do we actually know the origins of?
Take tamales for example – they are so important to Latin American gastronomy, especially in Mexico. But where did they come from? When were they first introduced to society?
January 6th pretty much wraps up the holiday season in most Spanish speaking countries with Día de Reyes, or Three Kings’ Day.
It’s a Catholic holiday that celebrates the recognition of baby Jesus as Christ by the Three Wise Men
People bring in the new year differently all over the world, but the one thing that seems pretty consistent is making New Year’s resolutions.
Learn all about not just various New Year’s traditions, but also tips and tricks on keeping those new habits going strong after the new year.
Christmas is finally here! Find out how people celebrate the holidays differently in Mexico and the US. Experience the nostalgia as Jim and May compare their childhood memories of the holiday season.
Around Christmastime in Mexico, you’ll start to hear a lot about “las posadas navideñas” – all the little Christmas parties leading up to Christmas Eve. Learn about these Mexican Christmas parties and how they’re celebrated in this episode.
Where does the word gringo come from? Is it offensive? Learn about six popular theories about the origins of the word “gringo.” Which one do you think is true?
JIm and May give a rundown of about six popular myths surrounding the word and try to discover it’s true origins.
One symbol you can see a lot in Mexico around this time of year is the skull. But death is not the only meaning behind it.
In Mexico, one of the biggest holidays is Día de Muertos. People celebrate the lives of their ancestors and decorate with these elaborate sugar skulls, or calaveritas de azúcar.
El Día de Muertos is celebrated across Mexico on November 2nd. It is believed that around this time, the veil between this world and the spirit world is thinner.
Jim and May talk about the significance of the holiday in Mexico and how it’s celebrated.
Have you heard of telenovelas? They’re similar to soap operas, but with a couple of key differences. Of course there are crazy plot twists, unrealistic romances, and unexpected drama. But this week, Jim and May go deeper and chat about the origins of these shows and their impact on Latin culture today.