Part 1 - By Beth Klemick
Feliz Navidad!
In many ways Christmas traditions in Spain closely resemble those celebrated and cherished in the United States. Many families take part in the usual festivities of decorating the Christmas tree and signing carols, but there are some traditions that are different and unique during this holiday season in Spain.
A different, and certainly mentionable tradition in Spain to celebrate the winter solstice is fire jumping. Spaniards will jump over fires in hope that this will protect them from illness, these bonfires (Hogueras) can been seen mainly in the cities of Granada and Jaen.
In the United States and many other parts of the world, Santa Claus, otherwise known as: Father Christmas (England), Pere Noel (France) and Shengdan Laoren (China) is the bearer of gifts and good cheer. But in Spain it is the Three Kings (Los Reyes Magos) who come bearing gifts on January 6th as the Spanish Christmas, which continues on way after December 25th.
To be continued...
Part 1 - By Elizabeth Gregory
If you're going to be away for New Year's, you might want to consider where to be. Here are some customs and traditions for New Year's around the world:
Spain Before midnight, bring out the dessert -- bunches of grapes. Eat one grape with each toll of the midnight bells. This old tradition is thought to bring good luck.
Colombia build a dummy representing the Año Nuevo (the old year). It's made out of bits of old clothing from each family member and stuffed with straw and firecrackers. On a piece of paper, every family member writes a fault or a bit of bad luck that they want to get rid of. Exactly at midnight, Año Nuevo is set on fire and burns until nothing but ashes is left. That's when all of the old year's bad luck and faults disappear.
Greece serve Vasilopita (New Year's Bread) at midnight. This special bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden inside. The head of the household cuts the bread exactly at midnight and whoever receives the piece with the coin will have good fortune throughout the year. So spend the day baking Vasilopita with your kids and at midnight, welcome in the New Year with a sweet treat.
Happy Hunting!
(Source: http://www.familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,22-4272,00.html)
Part 1 - by Beth Klemick
One of my least favorite things about preparing for an upcoming trip/travel is figuring out the how much money to bring along and in what forms (for example: cash, debit card, credit card, travelers checks). This isn't always an easy task, especially if you are very unfamiliar with the destination you will be traveling to. As a world traveler I have yet to find the perfect solution or amount. It has been said that we are a global, interconnected society so for some it is hard to imagine that cold hard cash cannot be gotten from ATMs or purchases of souvenirs paid for by credit card in some nations.
Overall, it does not hurt to bring along a combination of US dollars (small amount, as sometimes the easiest currency to exchange), US dollar-denominated traveler's checks, and a credit card or ATM card (tied to Visa or MasterCard). As always there are pros and cons for each form.
Travelers checks as a form of currency have a plus and minus side. One downside is that not every establishment will accept travelers' checks. Another is the exchange process is typically more involved and usually will entail having to go to a bank and provide your original passport not a copy. The downside is not so much having to go to the bank but dealing with the banking hours in many countries, which is not as "customer service" oriented as here in the United States. If you are staying a high-end hotel they may be able to exchange travelers checks as well. The plus side is if your traveler’s checks are lost or stolen they are insured and you can recoup the losses, very important to copy down the serial numbers and give them to a friend or family member who will not traveling with you, a luxury cash does not afford us.
There are very little if any pros to traveling with cash. The general rule is to travel with as little cash as possible. If you prefer cash verse the ATM/credit card route, go with traveler's checks. It is a good idea to have some smaller denominations of US and local currency on your person upon arrival for things like taxis, tips, phone calls, and so on. Best to invest in a money belt which you can fit under your clothes verse carrying cash in wallets stored in pockets, purses and backpacks, and best when venturing out for the day to only bring as much cash as you will need for the day for public transportation, food, etc.
To be continued...
