History

Italy is younger than you think!

When I talk about Italy, one of the comments I get the most from my friends around the world is the following: “ North and South- two different countries, right?”

They probably refer to their own experience while travelling, or maybe just to the cliché of the north of Italy being the productive efficient area of the nation, and the south being the lazy and relaxed one.

While trying to ensure people that the cliché is just a cliché, not reflecting the reality, I also admit that yes- North and South are two different countries in one.

And actually, it is more complex than that.

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The Costa Rican Colorful Oxcart

Costa Rican oxcarts (Photo by Manu Martin)

La Carreta, “The oxcart” in English, was designated National Labor Symbol on March 22^nd, 1988. During the nineteenth century, with extensive coffee plantations around the country, it was necessary to have a vehicle that could actually pass through muddy places, beaches, hills, curves, rocky mountains and deep small rivers. That’s when this rustic, wooden, strong cart was created.

As the coffee industry of Costa Rica increased, so did the need to use the oxcart to produce and export the coffee beans. Thus, the first shipment of coffee to London was transported from the coffee plantations to Costa Rica’s main ports by oxcart in 1843. Oxcarts carried coffee to the province of Puntarenas on a small road between 1844 and 1846. A curious fact is that oxcarts were originally pulled by people, not oxen. However, as the need for transporting goods grew, the loads became too heavy and the people were replaced by oxen.

"Coffee and sugarcane gave birth to our oxcart" (Photo by Manu Martin)

The oxcart also served as an ideal transportation for family trips and other types of social activities such as weddings and funerals, and even for medical assistance. It is interesting to know that before the railway was built, which connected San José with Puntarenas, many families used the oxcarts to spend summer days in the coast. The round trip consisted of 4 ½ days to get there, 2 days in the beach and other 4 ½ days to return!

The golden age of oxcarts is said to go from 1850 to 1935. The custom of originally decorating and painting these carts began in the early twentieth century, when cowherds decided to add life to oxcarts by hand painting them with bright colors and geometrical figures.  In 1903, people decided to start enhancing the carts by decorating the circle wheels, and in 1915, the entire wheels were painted and decorated to create a distinct look among families. After World War II, the oxcart became obsolete due to new inventions; being replaced by trains, tractors and trucks. It has been used since then as an ornamental object.

Oxcarts in the past (Photo by Manu Martin)

The oxcart is not only used in Costa Rica, but also in Central America. However, the Costa Rican oxcart is unique because it is the only one decorated in such an original way with colorful patterns and shapes, and even flowers, stars and animals. Although the oxcarts can present evident similarities, there are never two oxcarts painted exactly the same since all of them contain changes in color tones and figures. This art has been passed from generation to generation up to the present time.

Original oxcart with painted animals and flowers (Photo by Manu Martin)

The town of Sarchí, located in the province of Alajuela, is the great traditional center for manufacturing and decorating carretas. That’s why it is common to see beautifully painted oxcarts in gardens and in the more than 200 stores, where a wonderful variety of oxcarts can be found, offering all kinds of sizes and colors. The largest and oldest oxcart factory is also found in this place: the Joaquín Chaverri Oxcart Factory was built in 1902 and is considered to be the birthplace of oxcart handicrafts in Costa Rica. In front of the church of Sarchí you can also see the world’s largest painted oxcart, which was built in 2006 in order to get the name of the town into The Guinness Book of World Records. It is an amazingly beautiful oxcart!

One of the many stores in Sarchí (Photo by Nuria Villalobos)

Corridor in Sarchí where oxcarts get painted (Photo by Manu Martin)

The World's Largest Painted Oxcart

The oxcarts are nowadays used in parades and festivals around the country. The most famous one takes place on the second Sunday of every March in San Antonio de Escazú, a town in San José. The Oxcart Drivers Day, Día de los Boyeros in Spanish, has been celebrated for 30 years. This year, over 200 yuntas (sets) of oxen and beautifully decorated and colorful oxcarts participated in the event. The boyeros or oxcart men use a traditional prod or chuzo to keep the oxen moving and under control as they climb uphill to San Antonio. Besides the parade, where the priest blesses the oxcarts, the festival also offers visitors a good variety of typical food and traditional music.

The Oxcart Drivers Day in Escazú (Photo by ticoindex.com)

After learning so much about the oxcart, it is easy to understand its importance in the Costa Rican culture. As María Alvarado says in her article about the typical oxcart, it is one of the most genuine folkloric manifestations of the country as it represents the simplicity and aspirations of rural Costa Rican people, who have become artisans thanks to it. La carreta symbolizes humility, patience, sacrifice and endurance in an effort to pursue goals in a pacific manner. The national progress is linked to the oxcart, which imposes respect in virtue of its glorious past. The typical oxcart was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO on November 24^th, 2005.

Oxcart with boyero (Photo by Manu Martin)

Beautiful oxen with cart (Photo by Nuria Villalobos)

So, if you are ever in Costa Rica, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Sarchí or Escazú, get on an oxcart to take a picture or buy a miniature oxcart somewhere. It will always remind you of how the Costa Rica you know today was forged.

Tourists on oxcart (Photo by Manu Martin)

The Oxcart: National Symbol of Costa Rica (Photo by Manu Martin)

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Canada’s Birthday

The History

In the 1800′s Canada was a series of divided areas. With Upper Canada populated with settlers from France and Lower Canada with settlers from England, the colony stood on opposites sides of many issues- including wars in Europe between their home countries. Different regions surfaced, including Acadia on the East Coast which was predominantly French, and Manitoba inland which was created by the fur trade.

These areas all had their own system of government or political parties. Further, at this young stage, the Canadian colonies were already spread over such a diverse area of lands that they held individualized resources and needs. This enhanced the tensions between each other.

It was finally in 1867- Yes, Canada is still so young in comparison- that the founding fathers of Canada created the Confederation. At the helm, was our first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald. Together, 4 provinces formed to become a major part of the Canada we know today. They were Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

Manitoba, on the other hand, held off another 3 years before they finally joined the country at the same time as the Northwest Territories. From then on, it was a slow process of adding British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Yukon Territory, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and finally Newfoundland. They joined one at a time, dating as recently as 1949. In fact, recently, in 1999, a piece of the Northwest Territories separated itself and became Canada’s third territory, Nunavut. These 13 regions create the entirety of Canada.

The Celebration

Mounties raising the flag

It was July 1st, 1867 that Canada was born. We still celebrate the country’s birthday with the aptly named Canada Day each year. It is a national holiday with most people receiving an extra day off of work. Often this longer weekend is simply referred to ‘the July long’.

Children are usually recently out of school and families often take this time to travel out of town. Road trips, camping, and any outdoor experience are common. It is the official kick-off to our summer enjoyment.

My personal favourite Canada Day celebration happened up North in the village of Haines Junction, Yukon. The whole town came to be in or to watch a parade right down the main street. Their main street also happens to be a stretch of the Alaska Highway. Thus, this popular summer highway was barricaded and closed for the duration of the parade. Of course, in this village of ~500 people, a parade does not take very long. There was also a huge barbeque lunch serving hamburgers and hot dogs. It seemed that everyone attended.

Other common events include concerts, family-oriented events in parks, and fireworks at night. And, we cannot forget, everyone wears as much red and white and maple leafs as they can.

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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The 4-way stop courtesy

Aisha Ashraf, a British expat in Canada

20 June: Flag Day in Argentina

The origins of the colours of the Argentinean flag are shrouded in mystery. No one knows exactly why its creator, General Manuel Belgrano chose sky blue and white in 1812. Some say he was inspired by the sky, others maintain they represent the colours of Virgin Mary’s cloak or even that they are the colours used by the Bourbon royal family. What is certain, though, is that Belgrano wanted his patriot soldiers to wear a different colour from that of the Spanish army- red.

It does resemble the sky

After emancipation in 1810, the criollo party wanted to sever ties from Spain for good and embarked on a war of independence that lasted until 1816. General Belgrano, in charge of securing the city of Rosario for the patriots, distributed sky blue and white rosettes among his soldiers. He founded a fort on February 27, 1812 near Rosario and at the opening ceremony he made his troops swear allegiance to the brand new flag, which was sewn by a local lady called Maria Catalina Echeverria and which had the colours of the rosettes –a sky blue band, a white band and another sky blue band.

Cut to the 1830s and 40s. At the time, there were two major political parties, Unitarios (unitarians) and Federales (Federales), who were sworn enemies. The Federales wore bright red ribbons and the Unitarios sky blue and white ones. So the president, Juan Manuel de Rosas -from the Federal party-, decided to darken the blue stripes of the flag to differentiate it from his oponents’ colours. This gave rise to confusion after he was deposed: was the official colour dark blue or sky blue?

Flags come out for the World Cup

The matter was resolved only in 1944, when President Farrell established that the nation’s flag was sky blue, white and sky blue with a sun with 32 rays in the middle of the white band. This was the war flag, used in official occasions only. In 1985 it was decided that the flag with the sun would be the only national flag.

June 20 is Flag Day, a public holiday in Argentina. It was chosen to commemorate its creator, General Manuel Belgrano, on the day of this death. At schools around the country, fourth graders take the pledge of allegiance to the flag in an emotional ceremony. Unfortunately, I don’t have many recollections of the ceremony itself but I do remember feeling it was an important day and that I was on my way to becoming a proud citizen.

(Source: El Historiador – Felipe Pigna)

Read more

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Tortas fritas

 Buenos Aires Cathedral tiled floor

A brand of lighters at the origin of the French Father’s Day

Father’s Day, a celebration that goes back to the Middle Ages

Sunday, June 17, 2012, French children will celebrate Fête des Pères  – Father’s Day and will offer paper neckties and bowties, pencil holders and frames made with love with the re-used cardboard of their cereal boxes or will simply spend a large amount of their pocket money in the many gift shops that offer already made and expensive gifts.

Father’s Day is not a recent invention as it was already celebrated during the Middle Ages in many Catholic countries including France. But it was celebrated on March 19, the day of Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus.

Father’s Day re-invented by a brand of lighters

This religious festival was lost over the generations to re-emerge in the 20th century.
Unlike Mother’s Day, which was established to celebrate women of course but also to encourage them to repopulate France after the two world wars, the Fête des Pères was re-invented for purely commercial reasons by a Breton brand of lighters!
Yes, I said a Breton brand of lighters called Flaminaire!

Father's Day gift - paper tie

Flaminaire commercialised the first conventional lighters in 1908. The lighter, first a luxury object, never ceased to evolve and its use became widespread during the First World War.

At the end of the Second World War consumer society was booming and people discovered the concept of gifts, a move that quickly became a social obligation. As in those times most men smoked, offering a lighter to their Dads for Father’s Day became a standard practice for children. Luminaire invested into a large scale advertising campaign, thus creating the habit of offering a lighter to men.

Father’s Day was instituted in 1952, two years after Mother’s Day became an official celebration, but has never been formalized, even if it is celebrated each year on the third Sunday of June!

In addition to the various gifts, it is also a tradition to offer roses, the symbol flower of Father’s Day but there is a code to follow. Red roses are offered to a father who is alive, and white roses are placed on the grave of a deceased Dad.

Many detractors see in Father’s Day, which is an unofficial celebration, the expression of abusive and tacky marketing and they could be right but Father’s Day celebration is an integral part of our culture and traditions and is primarily an opportunity to show our love and affection to our Dads.

Wishing a Happy Father’s Day to all the French Dads and the others.

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French Mother’s Day – Fête des Mères

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25th May, Argentina’s Emancipation from Spain

The last week of May, known as Semana de Mayo, marks the anniversary of the declaration of Argentina’s emancipation from Spain in 1810 (Independence was declared on 9^th July, 1816). Today the country celebrates its 202^nd birthday (with a rather big cake to fit all those candles, I should think). The actual deed took place on the 25^th but significant events took place in the preceding days –and years.

Cabildo Abierto by Pedro Subercaseaux, 1908

Let’s go back in time to the 18^th century. The Spanish Empire had many colonies throughout the Americas (it even included Texas, California and Florida at one point). The Portuguese also has colonies in South America in what is now Brazil. Spain and Portugal were on and off at war and the colonies mirrored what happened in Europe.

In order to protect its territory better, Portugal created the Viceroyalty of Brazil in 1763. Spain felt threatened but it took thirteen years for the Empire to create the Viceroyalty of the River Plate in 1776  to curb the advance of the Portuguese in Spanish territory. Buenos Aires (or Santa Maria de los Buenos Ayres as was then) was declared capital city.

Cut to 1806. On 27^th June, a British fleet led by Sir Home Popham invaded Buenos Aires, unbeknownst to the British government. The invasion was short-lived as the invaders were expelled in August. Another expedition, led by William Carr Beresford and approved by the Crown, disembarked in Buenos Aires on 16^th June, 1807 and took the city. A mix of Spanish soldiers and criollo (Spanish Americans of European descent born in the colonies) militiamen expelled the enemy forces a month later. The main reason for the failed invasions was to find new markets after Napoleon closed European ports to British products.

Meanwhile, things in Spain weren’t going well. Napoleon invaded the country and deposed King Ferdinand VII. The Empire was in a critical state of affairs. Back in the Viceroyalty, there were some criollos who felt they were ready for independence. After all, they had managed to repel an enemy invasion almost without any help from Spain and gave them a more prominent role.

When news reached the River Plate, a cabildo abierto (an assembly of the most prominent citizens) was called in order to decide where their allegiance lay. On 22^nd May the cabildo abierto decided to put an end to the viceroy’s authority over the River Plate. On 23^rd May, they tried to find a balance between two opposite positions and a Junta was created, with Viceroy Cisneros as its head along with two nationalists and two moderates. They didn’t get enough support and Cisneros resigned on the 24^th.

Buenos Aires Cabildo (town hall) today

In the morning of the 25^th groups of citizens got together at what is now called Plaza de Mayo (Mayo Square), outside the Cabildo, to demand a new Junta without loyalists. The pressure exerted by these groups along with that of the militia resulted in the Primera Junta, the first ever all-criollo government.

Nowadays, 25^th of May is a national holiday marked by a Te Deum, a thanksgiving service held in every cathedral in the country and the president chooses which one to attend -a different city every year. It is customary to prepare traditional Argentinean dishes like locro or carbonada and wash down churros and pastelitos with hot chocolate. That has always been my favourite part of this significant day.

My mother's locro

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