In this episode of the podcast, we take a look at the importance of Spanish Christmas carols and some notable examples of these songs. By listening to popular carols such as “Campana sobre Campana” or “Los Peces en el Rio” you’ll not only pick up useful vocabulary but also gain insight into the history and culture of Spanish-speaking countries.
La Rama is a traditional celebration that takes place throughout Mexico during the Christmas season. It is a festive event involving singing, villancicos, and carrying a decorated branch around town. Learn how this unique tradition is celebrated in this episode.
If you want to fit in at a Mexican birthday party, there are a few things you need to know. One is the “mordida,” another is the piñata chant, and perhaps the most important is the traditional Mexican birthday song! In this episode, we share the lyrics and the meaning behind this unique song so that you can be prepared the next time you’re at a Mexican birthday party.
Hairless dogs aren’t often people’s first choice when adopting a new pet, but to the Aztecs, a curious breed of canine helped them cross into the underworld. In this episode, we explore the topic of the Xoloitzcuintle; the curious Mexican hairless dog breed with a fascinating history.
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that’s often misunderstood. Every autumn, people around the world turn to the internet to ask if it’s Mexican Halloween, where it comes from, and how it’s celebrated. So in this episode, we decided to answer some of the most commonly searched for questions about this fascinating celebration.
Mexico is rich in pre-hispanic traditions that you can still experience to this day. One of our favorites is a beverage you can taste in Oaxaca called “tejate.” This delicious corn and cacao-based drink has been used to help energize people for hundreds of years. Find out more in this episode where we interview doña Lucrecia, maker of some of the best tejate in Oaxaca.
For most, chocolate is a sweet made for enjoying as a dessert or in a candy. But for some communities in Oaxaca, it’s a cultural tradition passed down from generation to generation, where even the question “when are we going to drink chocolate” has a deeper meaning. Find out what cacao and chocolate means to Ervit from Chimalapa Cacao con Origin in this interview.
Even if you’ve never been to Mexico before, you’ve probably still heard all about their giant sombreros, Cinco de Mayo, and the afternoon siesta… but how much of this is actually true? In this episode, we take a closer look at eight of the most common myths about Mexico.
Ecuador really surprised us. It’s a country that seems to have a little bit of everything. Unique flora and fauna, food, culture, and history. It also has something else that most other countries do not… the equator! In this episode, we take a deeper dive into what really stood out to us about this incredible country.
Ecuador is an incredibly beautiful and diverse country. During our time there, we learned a lot about what makes it special. Not only were the people warm and welcoming, but we learned quite a bit about the Ecuadorian way of speaking Spanish, including their sing-song tonality and unique slang. In this episode, we sat down with Kevin Maldonado from Free Walking Tours Cuenca to chat about Ecuadorian Spanish.