By Anne Silva
Tickets to Carnaval in Brazil can get pretty expensive. And it might… just MIGHT… be a little bit of a headache to take your students there. Same for the Carnaval de Oruro in Bolivia. So what’s a teacher to do, if he or she wants to experience authentic Latin festivities close to home?
Think global, act local, of course!
There are ethnic celebrations in some of the most unlikely places in the country. You may even have some near you and not even know! As a non-native Spanish teacher in the Midwest, I often had no idea about the Hispanic festivals and special events that went on—until I made friends with a Mexican teacher who clued me in. And SHE often knew about certain celebrations but not others… which we learned about once we became friends with a Colombian teacher as well! Moral of the story? Network, network, network!
So let’s share! Do you know of an event that takes place near your city/town/sister’s house/parish/etc? Do you have a website you can share that will help your other Hispanophiles celebrate the Spanish-speaking world in all its fun and glory? Please share in the comments below!
(I’ll start! Here’s an awesome website that has announcements for Bolivian events that take place throughout the year and throughout the country! People in Illinois, Colorado, and California, did you know you could be celebrating Carnaval Bolivian-style each March?!?
Please feel free to share any information you have about Spanish, Latin American, Caribbean, and any other ethnic celebrations, carnivals, festivals, etc. It doesn’t have to be official information, just enough to give the rest of us something to Google if we’re interested. It doesn’t have to be a March carnival—we’ll be able to refer to this all year, so keep ‘em coming! Also, while we are here due to a shared love of Spanish and Hispanic cultures, we can only benefit as people and as teachers by learning about ALL the world’s cultures, so please feel free to share non-Hispanic festival information as well! (And who doesn’t love a good souvlaki?!)
