Spanische Kultur

 FlamencoEtymology

There are questions not only about the origins of flamenco, but also about the origins of the word itself.

George Borrow claims the word flemenc [sic] is synonymous with "Gypsy"). Blas Infante, in his book Orígenes de los Flamencos y Secreto del Cante Jondo, argued that flamenco comes from Hispano-Arabic word fellahmengu, meaning "expelled peasant" after the end of the Moorish reign.

Fiestas de Granada
For centuries the festivals of Granada have been very popular. At the time of the Nazari kingdom people played reeds and bulls and celebrated other religious festivals in Granada..

The magical atmosphere of Granada is reflected in all works created by romantic writers and painters inspired by the experiences, rituals, and by the lush bouquet of festivities throughout the year.

La siestaA siesta (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsjesta]) is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm. The word siesta is Spanish, from the Latin hora sexta - "the sixth hour" (counting from dawn, therefore noon, hence "midday rest").

Comidas típicas en la Semana SantaSemana Santa, like any other festival, has it’s own special flavours and this is especially during this week because traditionally Catholics are not supposed to eat meat.
The exact dishes will vary to some degree depending on where you are celebrating in Andalucia. However, you can expect local “Menus of the Day” to feature fish and vegetables. The Andalucian Garbanzos con Bacalao (Chickpeas with Cod) stew a favourite in many areas as well as a totally vegetarian dish called Garbanzos with Spinach (which usually has a lot of garlic and is a wonderfully tasty way to eat spinach).

Semana Santa: GranadaSpain celebrates Easter Week much more than most European countries. During the whole of Semana Santa, (Holy Week), street processions are organised in most Spanish towns each evening, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
People carry statues of saints around on floats or wooden platforms, and an atmosphere of mourning - which can seem quite oppressive to onlookers - and the Easter week processions end with Easter Sunday, a day full of light and colour when church and cathedral bells are heard ringing throughout the country.

TorerosSpanish-style bullfighting is called corrida de toros (literally "race of bulls") or la fiesta ("the festival"). In a traditional corrida, three matadores ("killers"), each fight two bulls, each of which is at least four years old and weighs 460–600 kg.

Puerta del Sol. MadridSpanish New Year's Eve (Nochevieja or Fin de Año in Spanish, Cap d'Any in Catalan, Cabo d'Anyo in Aragonese) celebrations usually begin with a family dinner, traditionally including shrimp and lamb or capon. Spanish tradition says that wearing new, red underwear on New Year's Eve brings good luck. The actual countdown is primarily followed from the clock on top of the Casa de Correos building in Puerta del Sol square in Madrid.

The Magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word Magi is a Latinization of the plural of the Greek word magos (μαγος pl. μαγοι), itself from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestan magâunô, i.e. the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born, (see Yasna 33.7:' ýâ sruyê parê magâunô ' = ' so I can be heard beyond Magi '). The term refers to the priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars, and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science. Their religious practices and use of astrology caused derivatives of the term Magi to be applied to the occult in general and led to the English term magic. Translated in the King James Version as wise men, the same translation is applied to the wise men led by Daniel of earlier Hebrew Scriptures (Daniel 2:48). The same word is given as sorcerer and sorcery when describing "Elymas the sorcerer" in Acts 13:6-11, and Simon Magus, considered a heretic by the early Church, in Acts 8:9-13.