Where Do Some Mexican Superstitions Come From?

enero 28, 2022enero 28, 2022

Mexicans are full of surprises, traditions, celebrations and more. However, one thing that is not mentioned very often about Mexicans is their belief in supersticiones, which are very established in our culture.

Mexicans are very careful with every step we take, so passing the information on superstitions from generation to generation is not surprising

So, what are these superstitions?

Echar La Sal

Believe it or not, the belief that spilling salt brings you bad luck is very old, dating back to ancient Rome. There are people who claim that spilling, throwing, or passing salt from hand to hand while we are eating is bad luck.

However, we as Mexicans prevent before complaining. So the ritual of throwing a bit of salt back over our shoulder to break all kinds of bad omens is welcomed.

Walk Under Stairs

There are certain beliefs that are a symptom of bad omens or that predict all kinds of ills for those who witness them. Since always, we Mexicans have allowed ourselves to be influenced by superstition. One such superstition is walking under a escalera.

Although many think that this is only due to a safety method to avoid a catastrophe, some people believe that something bad will happen to them if they go under a ladder, so they avoid doing it at all costs.

Place your Purse on the Floor

Legend has it that leaving a bag or purse on the floor causes money to go away (spiritually speaking?). Apparently this superstition comes from Chinese culture, and somehow or another it came to México. Those who believe in this superstition would rather leave their bolsa on their lap than put it on the ground just in case.

Look a Baby in the Face for a Long Time

In very distant times, it was thought that witches were the ones who cast the mal de ojo to make their victims fall ill, and thus lose love or leave them in ruins. Nowadays it is believed that by staring at a baby there is the possibility of giving him the “evil eye”. That is why many mothers put a red bracelet or ribbon on their newborns’ wrists indefinitely while they are babies to ward off all kinds of mala suerte.

When your Ears Hurt

How many times do we not have that ringing sensation in our ears and say, “Oh, someone remembered me”, or “Someone is talking bad about me”. This is due to the superstition that when you have any kind of pain or discomfort in your ear it is because someone is causing it by mentioning your name. Could it be true?

Sweep Someone’s Feet

It is said that sweeping someone’s feet could cause them to be “Forever Alone” because according to abuela, if someone sweeps your feet then you are destined to never marry or marry until you’re old. This superstition dates back to 16th century Spain where people began to believe in witches and the power of brooms to take flight.

A superstition similar to this is that of sitting on the corner of a table, where it is believed that this causes you to never get married and end up being the viejita with many cats.

Break a Mirror

According to superstitious people, breaking a mirror by accident is not a good sign. There is a saying that whoever breaks a mirror will have 7 years of mala suerte. Superstitions regarding mirrors began when early men saw their reflections in ponds and believed they were spirits or souls.

Apparently many superstitions were born with the idea that brujas or witches existed and that they could cast a spell on you. Having these kinds of extra details from our culture adds a bit of flavor to us Mexas. You may not believe any of these superstitions, but what is certain is that it is fun to see people from other countries being surprised when we tell them what could happen to them if they do not obey the rules of superstitions.

What other supersticiones do you know? Tell us in the comments below.

El lamento aterrador de Cihuacóatl, “La Llorona”

octubre 25, 2021octubre 25, 2021Leave a comment

Por Adriana Bataille

Si disfrutas de relatos que te pongan la piel chinita y los pelos de punta, te invito a conocer una de las leyendas mexicanas más difundidas no sólo en México sino en el mundo.

Una versión poco conocida de “La Llorona” la encontramos en la mitología mexica, en la cual Cihuacóatl, Coatlicue o Tonantzin, era identificada como divinidad con cabeza de mujer y cuerpo de serpiente y se le atribuían los poderes de la tierra y la fertilidad, y al mismo tiempo, una estrecha relación con el inframundo. Cuando los mexicas subían a lo más alto de sus templos y miraban hacia el oriente, podían ver sobre las aguas de los lagos la silueta de una mujer vestida de blanco con telas vaporosas y larga cabellera que se ondulaba con el viento. Cuenta la leyenda que Cihuacóatl comenzó a aparecer alrededor del año 1500 sobre el lago de Texcoco, los astrólogos interpretaron su presencia como una mala premonición en la vida de los mexicas ya que su desgarrador grito anunciaba la muerte, la guerra y la esclavitud.

“¡Ayyy mis hiiijooooooosss! ¿Dónde los llevaré para que escapen de tan funesto destino?”

A lo largo de los tiempos, los mexicas fueron identificando los mensajes de Cihuacóatl a través de su presencia en las aguas, ya que siempre aparecía acompañada de gritos y lamentos nocturnos tanto en Aztlán como en la gran Tenochtitlan, ambos lagos conectados por coincidencias físicas y míticas. Por otro lado, a Cihuacóatl se le conocía como la Patrona de las Cihuapipiltin, un grupo de mujeres nobles que habían perdido la vida al momento de parir, y que fueron consideradas por los mexicas como guerreras valerosas. Las Cihuapipiltin, eran mujeres de apariencia pálida y todas ellas llevaban en la parte superior del cabello, pegada a la frente un peinado en forma de cuernos, símbolo de fertilidad. Durante la celebración de los días de las ánimas, las Cihuapipiltinse eran enviadas por Cihuacóatl a la tierra, y se aparecían en las encrucijadas de los caminos bramando en el aire por sus hijos.

Después de la Conquista de los españoles, el sacerdote Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, interpretó la leyenda como una advertencia por parte de Cihuacóatl anunciándole a Moctezuma la destrucción del imperio mexica.

“Hombres extraños, más sabios y antiguos que nosotros vendrán por el Oriente y sojuzgarán a tu pueblo y a ti mismo, y tú y los tuyos serán de muchos lloros y grandes penas, tu raza desaparecerá devorada y nuestros dioses humillados por otros dioses más poderosos”

El presagio se cumplió, aquellos hombres de Oriente eran los españoles dirigidos por Hernán Cortés, entonces la gran Tenochtitlán fue sometida y los pueblos sufrieron epidemias, asesinatos, mujeres violadas, y dioses olvidados… a excepción de Cihuacóatl, La Llorona. Unos dicen que han visto a La Llorona flotando, otros aseguran que no tiene rostro y unos más cuentan que sus gritos y lamentos son tan desgarradores que quedan grabados en la mente de quien la ha escuchado.

** Visión de los vencidos. Relaciones indígenas de la conquista.

Canción popular

Salías del templo un día, llorona,
cuando al pasar yo te vi.
Hermoso huipil llevabas, llorona,
que la Virgen te creí.

Ay, de mi llorona, llévame al río,
¡Ay, llorona! Llévame al río,
tápame con tu rebozo, llorona,
porque me muero de frío.

Yo te soñaba dormida, llorona,
dormida y estabas quieta,
pero llegando el olvido, llorona,
soñé que estabas despierta.

Ay, de mi llorona, de un campo lirio,
el que no sabe de amores, llorona,
no sabes lo que es martirio.

Si porque te quiero quieres, llorona,
quieres que te quiera más,
si ya te he dado la vida, llorona,
que más quieres, quieres más.

5 Nuevas (y Raras) Variaciones del Tradicional Pan de Muerto

octubre 21, 2021octubre 21, 2021

Por Rocio Monroy

Quien diría que con el tiempo el pan de muerto iba a evolucionar y en el futuro tendríamos una gran variedad. Aunque ya existen diferentes tipos de pan de muerto, con azúcar blanca, rosa, en forma de muerto, con ajonjolí y más. Ahora los mexicanos han puesto a trabajar su ingenio y ha creado variedades inimaginables de pan de muerto, algunas antojables, y otras no tanto…

Pero, ¿Cuáles son estos diferentes tipos de pan de muerto?

Mantemuerto

Las mantemuerto hicieron su primera aparición en las redes sociales, y todo empezó con las famosas manteconchas. Los creadores de la manteconcha decidieron expandir la idea de combinar dos panes famosos, la mantecada y el pan de muerto, y crear algo totalmente nuevo e ingenioso. Aunque tal vez para muchos no sea muy apetitoso, la verdad es que podría ser muy buena idea para aquellos que solo quieren comer una pequeña cantidad de pan de muerto o para aquellos que siempre están en busca de algo nuevo.

Roscamuerta

Esta creación fue obra del chef mexicano Alfonso Domínguez, quien justo como la manteconcha, decidió tomar dos tradiciones mexicanas: Día de Muertos y Día de Reyes y crear un pan en el podamos disfrutar de ambos sabores. El nuevo pan tiene clásica figura de la rosca de reyes y es acompañada por los famosos frutos a su alrededor, mientras que en el centro se encuentra el famoso pan de muerto, con azúcar y los huesos que se representan en el pan.

Pan de Muerto Dona

Las donas son una delicia que a muchos nos gusta disfruta en un día normal, típicamente no se requiere que sea un día especial para que podamos comer donas. No obstante, ahora se le ha agregado algo nuevo a las donas para las podamos comer el día de los Muertos y tengan ese sabor especial del pan de muerto. En el restaurante gourmet Catamundi se presentó todo un homenaje a los sabores de la temporada. No solo encontrarás la imperdible dona de pan de muertos en este lugar, también la podrás acompañar con: la dona ‘pumpkin spice’ y la dona de ‘Telaraña Choco-Grosella’. Los más seguro es que sepan delicioso.

Cereal de pan de muerto

Tal vez una de las cosas más irreales de todas estas ideas, sea el pan de muerto en forma de cereal. Ahora, que está de moda de innovar el pan de muerto, Kellogg’s no se quería quedar atrás y decidió lanzar al mercado el cereal basado en el famoso pan de muerto. Hay muchos que opinan que esto es una idea que pierde la esencia del pan de muerto y hay otros que incluso han comenzado el debate sobre el tema de la apropiación cultural.

La torta de pan de muerto

Muchas de las ideas hasta ahora han seguido el mismo patrón de mantener el pan de muerto como un postre. No obstante, en Torreón, Coahuila han decido cambiar las reglas y en su lugar han creado la torta de pan de muerto. Esto se trata de un pan de muerto partido por la mitad, al que los taqueros decidieron colocarle carne al pastor en el medio, como si fuera una torta. Aunque la idea de comer algo extremadamente dulce como el pan de muerto con milanesa no suena muy apetitoso, tal vez valdría la pena probar. ¿Por qué no?

En esta temporada, seria una buena idea agregarle algo nuevo a nuestras vidas. No lo pienses mucho y anímate a probar alguno de estos inventos.

Tips to Keep your Family’s Love for Mexican Food Alive

septiembre 30, 2021septiembre 30, 2021Leave a comment

Being an immigrant living in the United States, one of the things that a person misses the most is the food from Mexico. While there are more and more restaurants cooking traditional Mexican food, they are often hard to find and often overlooked for quicker solutions around the corner. So, we as parents, how do we teach our children to fall in love with the food from Mexico, if they are not easily found in our new country? Here are some tips to keep this love of Mexican food alive while living in the United States.

Cook with them at home

Cooking meals at home is a great way to teach children love of any food. At our house, all of my children get together to cook dinner almost every night. Although the hours are busy and it is often easier to eat something at one of the fast food places down the street, we love to cook together and enjoy family meals. Teaching children to prepare the traditional foods you grew up with will provide them with loving memories of the time you spent in the kitchen with them. This will increase the love of these foods as comfort foods and that they will enjoy for a lifetime, even when they are cooking it themselves. My girls especially like to make homemade tortillas, which means that they generally don’t want to eat the ones we can buy at the store.

Buy traditional ingredients

Another way to increase a child’s love of Mexican food is by purchasing traditional ingredients. Finding the right ingredients to give your homemade meals authentic flavor can be a challenge, especially if you live in a small town like us, but it’s definitely worth the extra time to find the exact flavors from home. The city we live in doesn’t have many stores – there are far fewer to begin with that contain the necessary ingredients for some of the foods we love. We travel an hour and a half to find a mercado that has the chilies and meat that we are used to and that we supply until our next trip.

Eat as a Familia

Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash

While we cook with our children and choose the ingredients that give this food an authentic flavor, both are great steps in creating a love for Mexican food, the part that makes these foods more attractive is eating them together as a family. This is where the true love for cooking comes from, the pleasure that comes from eating it together. In our house, this is done every night. Whether we dine at the formal dining table or in the living room watching a movie, we dine together. This is our time to be together away from the chaos of school, work, the phones, and all the little distractions in life.

No matter what you are serving, be it pozole or tamales, buying it together, creating the meal together, and ultimately eating it together as a family will help make this your children’s most loved meal.What do you do to feed your child’s love for Mexican food? Share your ideas with us and let us learn from your experiences as well.

Things Only Mexicans do at Parties

septiembre 28, 2021septiembre 28, 2021Leave a comment

They say that you can get the bear out of Russia, but you can’t get Russia out of the bear. The same applies to Mexicans, and it is that no matter what part of the world we move to, Mexico is always in our corazones.

Many times our Mexicanidad stands out at parties, since there are certain customs that we cannot avoid following when we are invited to celebrate someone’s birthday or when we have to organize a party.

So, what are these customs?

The Mordida

One of the moments that we fear the most as Mexicans when it comes to singing las mañanitas, is the mordida. Many people would see these as unsanitary, but as Mexicans we like to see the birthday boy smeared with cake all over his face.

This tradition has been the cause of the destruction of many cakes, as well as accidents. However, it has been a part of our culture for so long that we cannot imagine a birthday party without the famous bite.

Being late

There is something that we definitely do not like as Mexicans, and that is being the first to arrive at the parties. Arriving at an event and seeing empty tables is torture and many of us choose to arrive later than indicated to make our grand entrance.

This causes all party plans to move to an hour later. However, in some way or another the party follows its own ritmo and everyone has a good time.

Los Padrinos

In the United States the idea of the godparents is that they take care of the godchildren in case something happens to the parents. That is why godparents are often very close to the children’s parents.

In Mexico, however, the idea of godparents has gradually been modeled on that of them supporting parents so that a big party is possible. Or for someone to gift the class ring to new professionals. The joke is that in Mexico, being a godfather is someone who has to contribute in some way to an important event in the life of a family, which has created godparents for even napkins, alcohol, clothing, music, etc.

Party until you drop from exhaustion

How many times have we not gone to an American party that only lasts 2 hours and leaves us wanting more. Meanwhile, in Mexico many times it is not specified what time a party is going to end, therefore, parties in Mexico are like marathons – only the strongest can endure.

Mexicans are always prepared to look their best and be at a party until their feet are about to burst.

Be loud

Loud music is a must at Mexican parties, whether the uncle plays his cumbiones or the neighborhood DJ plays the trendy songs, there is always music at parties.

Not everyone may dance at parties or even no one dances, but the music should always be present.

Table games

Not everything is dance at a Mexican party, Mexicans also like to take a break from the “vida loca” and on those occasions sitting down to play lottery, dominoes or another card game is very common. It all depends on what type of party you are attending, it could be a carne asada afternoon or Christmas dinner where many like to stay up until dawn.

Kids gone wild

Parties where children are not allowed are not very common in Mexico, many times we have to see children running around the party room and screaming so loud that it is difficult to hear the music in the background.

Even so, many do not mind that children are present, as this is a way to introduce them to the Mexican culture.

The little “recuerditos”

The fight for the party souvenirs is a serious thing that not many people from another country would understand. There are many things that Mexicans do to make it clear who owns the souvenir when the parties are over, either being the first to sit at the table because this automatically makes us owners of the souvenir or placing it so close to us so that everyone know that this memory belongs to us. There is no established law about souvenirs, but we all know that no one fights over the souvenir with the tia, as you could end up losing an arm.

These are just a few of the things that Mexicans expect to see when we attend a party. Of course we adapt to the customs of other countries, but there is nothing like being among the people who understand us when we want to listen to Vicente Fernández after having a few drinks on top.

Let Mexicanidad flow through our veins and this Hispanic Heritage Month let us share our customs with others.

How Do You Translate these Famous Mexican Phrases into English?

septiembre 26, 2021septiembre 26, 2021Leave a comment

Us people of Mexican heritage have colorful ways of expressing ourselves, either with words that only we can understand how, or with phrases that have been part of our vocabulario for so long that we don’t even know where they originated.

“Ya chole chango chilango
Que chafa chamba te chutas
No checa andar de tacuche
Y chale con la charola

Mejor yo me hecho una chela
Y chance enchufo una chava
Chambeando de chafirete
Me sobra chupe y pachanga”

But, what happens when we emigrate to the United States and we want to speak in the same way that we speak in our land, but everyone sees us with a cara de “what”?

This is perhaps one of the hardest things we face when we cross the border. We have to measure our words and think about how to elaborate a sentence so that others understand us, because even people who speak Spanish, who are not from Mexico, sometimes do not understand us.

However, all is not lost, there are some English phrases that have a similar meaning to those we say in Spanish. It may not feel the same to say these phrases without the unique Mexican touch, but they can be of great help to enrich your vocabulary.

1. A donde fueres haz lo que vieres

This phrase could apply to those travelers who are just learning about new cultures. Just look around you and learn from your surroundings.

You can say this phrase like this,

“When in Rome do as the Romans do”

Which means, when you are in Rome do like the Romans.

2. De volón pimpón

This phrase is for hyperactive people who do everything quickly, or when moms ask children to do things as fast as they can, and the way you could say it in English would be,

“Faster than fast”

3. Saca la sopa

If you want to know everything about a gossip, this phrase is the one you should use,

“Spill the beans”

4. Toco madera

For superstitious people who don’t want to be unlucky, just knock on wood and say,

“Knock on wood”

5. Hablando del rey de Roma

When you are talking about a person and they suddenly appear, you can say,

“Speaking of the devil”

6. Está armando un pancho

This phrase could apply when a child is throwing a tantrum or when an adult is so upset that everyone around him is looking surprised.

“He / she is making a scene”

7. Ya nos cargó el payaso

This phrase is very famous among students when they know that they are not going to pass a class. Although it can also apply to a situation where you are in a big problem and do not know how to solve it.

“We’re Screwed”

8. No te hagas pato

For those people who pretend not to pay attention or for those who do not want to do something that they were asked to do, you can tell them this,

“Stop playing dumb”

If the invention of phrases were an Olympic sport, Mexicans would always win first place. Sometimes it is difficult to keep up with the phrases that are created every day, and much more when we want to know how we can say them in English.

Even so, say them in Spanish and share our phrases with all our countrymen. Let’s not let this tradition die when we cross the border.

Who Would Be in the Mexican Avengers?

septiembre 23, 2021septiembre 23, 2021Leave a comment

Marvel and DC Comics have created characters like Captain America, Superman or Batman, which have been popular for so many years that several generations remember them as their favorites.

However, México is not behind when it comes to heroic characters that have marked the childhood of many. With the unique touch that characterizes Mexicans, several of us grew up seeing these characters.

But who are these defenders of justice? And what have they contributed to Mexican culture?

El Chapulín Colorado

In 1970 the Chapulín colorado was created to parody the superhero programs that were in fashion at the time. The Chapulín was clumsy, fearful and did not have any type of superpowers, although he did have the Chicarra Paralizadora, his Chiquitolina pills or our favorite, the Chipote Chillón.

Currently, we cannot see a Chapulín Colorado costume or shirt without thinking of Mexico. This is definitely a character that is part of our culture.

El Santo

The silver masked man is one of the most famous luchadores in Mexico and one of the icons in Mexican culture. El Santo has been a popular hero in our country and is a symbol of justice for people, since his character transcendeds the field of wrestling and became a superhero by appearing in dozens of films.

In the animated series El Chavo, there is a character called “el Justiciero Enmascarado” who is possibly a reference to Santo himself due to his physical resemblance.

Capulina

Capulina also known as the king of white humor , because he never used obscene words or adult content situations in his jokes, he was not only a great comedian, but he also co-starred in a movie alongside wrestling legend El Santo (El Santo vs Capulina (1972).

Capulina made a total of 84 films and recorded 12 musical albums.

Pepe el Toro

It is possible that the image of Pepe el Toro is not 100% reflected as a hero, since he is best known for his appearances in Nosotros los Pobres or Ustedes los Ricos. However, in the movie “Pepe el Toro” he gives us the opportunity to see him in a different way, far from the great suffering that we see in his other films.

Pepe el Toro becomes a boxer and accidentally kills his best friend during a semi-final fight. Channeling his anger and frustration, Pepe wins the championship and begins to befriend his friend’s widow.

Pepe el Toro is part of the 23 film library of the most iconic Mexican movie star, Pedro Infante .

Chabelo and Pepito

What? Chabelo a hero?

Believe it or not, Chabelo starred in a movie where he fights the most famous monsters in the 70s.

Pepito and Chabelo are cousins and during an excursion with the Boy Scouts they separate from the group to go find a gorilla for which they offered a reward of $500 pesos.

During their journey, the gorilla is the one who finds them and they are forced to escape leaving all their equipment, little by little they enter a mysterious cave in which they find The Mummy, The Man from the Green Lagoon, Frankenstein and the Vampire.

As they advance through the cave they arrive at a haunted house and by mistake they discover that both the haunted house, the cave and the monsters are just a trick to scare the travelers, because of a hidden group of thugs who trafficked with Uranium called Spectrum.

Chiquidracula

Chiquidrácula “ñaka ñaka”. Perhaps for many Chiquidrácula is better seen as a villain, but let’s remember that his goal was to save his grandfather from alcoholism. He made his first appearance in 1982 on the show “Chiquilladas.”

In 1986 the film Chiquidrácula was released, which focused on the history and possible origins of this character. In this movie, we hear many words that are etched in our heads, but the most famous is, “naka ñaka” which is an expression that became popular thanks to this Mexican television character, which was played by Carlos Espejel.

Phrases like, “ And now, who can help us?” are still said on the streets if Mexico, and recently a small tribute to el Santo was made in the Disney movie “Coco.” There is no doubt that Mexicans know how to make our way on the road to fame and create characters that remain in everyone’s hearts.

“No contaban con mi Astucia”

Did we miss a character? Tell us in the comments below.

The Contrasting Family Values of Mexico and USA

septiembre 8, 2021septiembre 8, 20212 Comments

As anyone from Mexico knows, la familia is one of the most important aspects of life. It is a fact that family comes first and that traditions are passed down from generation to generation. As an immigrant living in the United States, it is almost horrible to see the difference in family values from those to which one is accustomed at home in Mexico. Here I share a comparison of family values in Mexico and those observed here in the United States.

Photo by **Gonzalo Facello** from **Pexels**

RESPECT

Respeto is not something that is required in Mexico; it is something that is expected. Children respect their elders because that is how they are supposed to be. If someone older than you walks into the room, you’d better get up and offer them your seat. If your neighbor asks you for help, it will not be because you will get something, but because it is the right thing to do. Things are done as second nature rather than obligation or fear. While there are areas where this is changing, they are few and far between.

In direct contrast, here in the United States, the value of respect appears to be out of date. While you can still find areas that follow what they call old-school values here, they are becoming more and more rare. Here in the United States, respect is a virtue that is demanded and often issued out of fear of the repercussions of not showing it. However, this is also a waning practice. Many, including children, do not respect their elders or the needs of those around them. It has become common to look away when a neighbor needs it. The values here become very selfish and move away from the respect of the old days.

Photo by **Frederik Trovatten** from **Pexels**

CLOSENESS

Families in Mexico are very close. While family members may lead their own lives, they share triumphs and sorrows together. Familias in Mexico often live together until each child marries and in many cases even after marriage. If the children move, it is often close to their parents. If family members move to other areas, they try to connect or stay in touch as often as possible. Many of the small pueblos are made up of families that are spread throughout the town. While the larger cities are a bit different, the family connection is still evident in most places.

In the United States, however, family closeness has a different meaning. As families gather for vacations or birthdays, many families also begin to skip these events. The importance of earning money and improving one’s life has been given importance. So much so that the family is often left behind in the fight for success. This is not to say that family is not important to Americans, only that the relationship between family members is very different here than in Mexico.

LATE IN LIFE

In Mexico, as parents or family members age, it is typical for a child or other family member to stay close and help care for their viejitos. While they can maintain their independence for a long time, family members often stop by to see and talk for a time. Siblings sit outside reminiscing about old times, grandchildren come over to spend a few hours with their older abuelos, and their sons and daughters cook and clean for their parents.

Here in the United States, there are many who verify an aging family member. However, all too often, this visit is to a retirement home. As family members reach certain ages, children or siblings begin to search for the most comfortable retirement home to live in. While these houses are often charming, they provide the elderly with a place where they can live and receive the medical care they need. It is not the same as being part of the family or living in your own home and having personal space. This is not to say that Americans love their family members less, just that the practices observed seem quite strange to immigrants.

While each culture has its own family values, the norms for one country seem quite strange to those of another. In this way, the family values of people in the United States are in stark contrast to what we are used to being from Mexico. Here in the United States, they call all these changes progress. Me, in the hope that as immigrants living in this country, we can uphold our family values and keep them alive on a daily basis here in the United States.

7 Refranes Populares, ¿Qué son y cómo se usan?

mayo 31, 2021mayo 31, 2021Leave a comment

Los refranes forman parte de la comunicación diaria de muchos hablantes hispanos, partiendo principalmente de las experiencias de vida, utilizados en su mayoría por personas nativas en su idioma.

Los refranes se utilizan para expresar creencias y opiniones populares por medio de un enunciado breve y creativo, tienen significado por sí mismos y nos permiten mostrar contextos comunicativos reales, incluso pueden ser el medio para expresar un comentario irónico o sarcástico.

Son caracterizados por contener una verdad incómoda en la mayoría de los casos; de algún modo los refranes reflejan cosas sobre el comportamiento individual y colectivo que es necesario hacer consciente, pero en ocasiones “cala”.

Usarlos no es cualquier cosa, el chiste es seleccionar los más adecuados para nuestros objetivos, en el momento indicado y con las personas indicadas, su uso muchas veces depende del nivel de confianza que tengas con alguna persona o grupo, pero así mismo muestra buen nivel del manejo del idioma, por ello es preciso escucharlos en nativos de cada lenguaje.

A continuación cito algunos refranes en español y como se podría traducir al inglés, aunque no necesariamente de forma literal pero conservando el significado.

Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos

I gave you a stick to break my own head with

Cuando le enseñas malos comportamientos o malas actitudes a alguien. Como cuando un padre cría un hijo malo, pero al final el hijo termina estando en su contra.

A mal tiempo, buena cara

What can’t be cured must be endured

Cuando las cosas van mal, no van como se espera, o se complican, lo más conveniente es enfrentarlas con la mejor actitud.

Por ejemplo, cuando un compañero de clase ha sacado mala nota en el primer examen del año le decimos “al mal tiempo, buena cara”, para que no se desanime y siga adelante con lo que viene

Más vale tarde que nunca

Better late than never

En ocasiones, no importa llegar con retraso a algo, el caso es lograrlo.

Puede ser usado cuando alguien tarda mucho en graduarse o concluir la escuela, es una forma de animarlo, que no importa cuanto tiempo le lleve, el caso es que lo logre.

Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres

A man is known by the company he keeps

Indica que se puede conocer a una persona a través de su grupo de amigos o de su compañía.

Esto es porque el círculo social donde se desenvuelve, influye en su comportamiento, es como una advertencia a las malas compañías. Es comúnmente usado para hacer referencia a malas compañías aunque aplique también para las buenas compañías

Quien se ríe al último, ríe mejor

He who laughs last, laughs best

Hace un llamado a controlar la soberbia. Usualmente se enuncia cuando alguien ha sido humillado o vencido, normalmente de forma injusta, y espera en el futuro estar en una posición que le permita ver al otro caer, triunfar sobre el otro o vengarse del otro, o simplemente demuéstrale que la situación ha cambiado.

Los hechos valen más que mil palabras

Actions speak louder than words

Se refiere cuando las acciones de las personas no coinciden con sus palabras, o bien, es muy fácil hablar de hechos y no poner manos a la obra para que se cumplan. ¡No solo hables, actúa! Usualmente es presunción de algo a lo que aún no se ha llegado.

En el país de los ciegos, el tuerto es rey

In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

Se refiere a las personas que sobresalen ante los demás, es decir, aquellas personas que no poseen grandes talentos o habilidades, pero son menos mediocres que otros. En resumen se refiere a lo menos malo de entre todo lo que hay.

¿Y tú, que otros refranes conoces y qué usos les das?

Día de las Madres: ¿Qué Hacemos los Mexicanos en Estados Unidos para Celebrarlo?

mayo 4, 2021Leave a comment

El día de las madres es una de las fechas más celebradas alrededor del mundo, y en Estados Unidos no es la excepción, la única diferencia es que el día de las madres en México se celebra el 10 de mayo y en Estados Unidos es el segundo domingo de mayo.

Todo comenzó hace un poco más de cien años, en 1909, cuando Ana Jarvis, una estadounidense del estado de Virginia del Oeste, inició una lucha para que todas las madres trabajadoras que aportaban económicamente a su casa tuvieran mejores condiciones laborales y de salud, pero su lucha no tuvo frutos hasta que en 1914 el presidente Woodrow Wilson retomó esta lucha e hizo oficial el día de las madres, pero no con el enfoque inicial sino con una visión de celebrar a todas las madres del país.

El día de las madres en México no se celebró hasta 1922, que el periodista Rafael Alducín empezó a organizar el movimiento. Él solicitó apoyo a la iglesia católica, José Vasconcelos, y diferentes sectores del país. Gracias a él, a su movimiento, y a todas las personas que lo apoyaron, a partir de ese año se comenzó a celebrar el día de las madres en México, de hecho, este fue el primer país que comenzó con esta celebración en toda América Latina. El 10 de Mayo fue el día que se nombró como día de las madres y desde ese entonces lo celebramos todos los mexicanos.

Pero ¿cómo se da la fusión cultural entre las tradiciones Mexicanas de todos los que vivimos en Estados Unidos, y las mismas tradiciones de este?

Para empezar, que el día sea diferente en ambos países puede llegar a causar un pequeño shock entre los que vivimos en el país, pero fuimos criados con tradiciones Mexicanas. Se podría pensar que cambiar el día no es mucho problema si festejamos lo mismo y durante el mismo mes, pero la realidad es que existe un gran arraigo a la fecha, y ni el cambio de país ni de costumbres nos lo puede quitar. Aunque puede ser más conveniente celebrar a las madres un domingo donde la mayoría descansamos, no se siente el mismo sentimiento de pertenencia entre una fecha y otra.

¿Entonces cómo celebramos los compatriotas que vivimos el sueño americano?

Las personas somos seres de costumbres y es difícil que solo por haber cambiado de país cambiemos todas nuestras costumbre; además hay que tomar en cuenta que la mayoría de las madres de las que somos la primera o la segunda generación viviendo en Estados Unidos, o viven en México, o aunque vivan en el país siempre han celebrado el 10 Mayo. El estar ubicados en un lugar distinto no cambia la tradición. El segundo domingo de Mayo solo es otro día más, tal vez este año que el día cae en 9 en lugar de 10 podamos celebrar a la par de nuestros vecinos gringos, solo por la conveniencia de que es un día de descanso.

A los mexicanos nos gusta celebrar, hacer fiesta, y conmemorar el día. El celebrar el día de las madres en México no es solo esa parte materialista donde le compras unos bonitos aretes y le mandas una tarjeta sin visitarla o apapacharla. El día de las madres a los mexicanos, comparado con los gringos, nos gusta celebrarlo en grande como todo. Organizamos comidas familiares, o llevamos a mamá a comer, se reúne la familia, y si se puede, hasta le llevamos mariachi.

Como en todo hay dos caras de la moneda y muchos de los inmigrantes simplemente no pueden festejar ese día porque tienen años sin ver a su madre que está en México. Realizar un viaje al país natal es complicado para una visita tan corta, sin embargo aunque no celebren en persona, la llamada y el recuerdo siempre lo tendrán el 10 de Mayo.

Al final del día no importa el país en el que estén tú o tu madre si no el amor y los recuerdos que tienes con ella.