Holidays In Hispanic Countries Essay

Holidays in Hispanic Countries Major holidays in Hispanic countries include the Day of the Dead, Carnival, Holy Week and Christmas. Some of the major holidays in the United States are Easter and Christmas. Each of these holidays range in time, have different people that participate, and they each have different traditional activities. The Day of the Dead is a two day celebration that honors deceased loved ones. The two day celebration starts on November first and ends on November second. The first day of the Day of the Dead is dedicated to the deceased children. While on the second day, the deceased adults are honored and remembered. Carnival takes place in February. Carnival is celebrated for a few days, but the climax is on Carnival Tuesday and then ends on Ash Wednesday. “Holy week is

“They party night and day with parades and contests and being whomever they have always wished to be by wearing costumes and being free with themselves” (“Carnival in Spain”). The costumes can range from bright and beautiful to dark and scary monsters. Carnival ends with a tradition on Ash Wednesday. “The tradition is the Burial of the Sardine which marks the beginning of Lent” (“Carnival in Spain”). Holy Week is professionally organized by associations called Cofrades. This holiday is more religious than a big party. There are floats of Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ that go through the streets. There is a lot of music during Holy Week as well. The music is slower and more sad than music you would hear at Carnival. Christmas in Hispanic countries starts off on Christmas Eve. “On Christmas Eve, families gather together for a large dinner and Santa Claus brings gifts to which are opened on Christmas Eve” (“Christmas in Spain”). Like many Hispanic holidays, Christmas is spent with family. “Families dress nicely, eat large amounts of food together and give gifts to their family members and children” (Valdivieso