Post Tagged with "Argentina"

Buenos Aires Botanical Garden

The Buenos Aires Botanical Garden, designed by landscape architect Carlos Thays, was opened in September 1898.It is located in the neighbourhood of Palermo, across the street from the Zoo. Although the botanical garden is surrounded by the din of the traffic and the hustle and bustle of a big city, it is an oasis of tranquility, where people can take a respite from their hectic life.

 

Picture Postcards: Street fashion in Argentina

Our contributing editor, Ana, has sent us these photos of the clothes she wears when she is out and about in Argentina in the winter. Thanks, Ana. Looking good!

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Holiday Season in Argentina
Camila O’Gorman, the Romantic Heroine of Argentina
Students Day and Spring Celebrations in Argentina

Holiday season in Argentina

December 8th is a special day in Argentina.  While Catholics celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary with masses and processions, some simply enjoy the day off as it is a bank holiday. But the real excitement, especially for children, is that Christmas trees go up today.

 

I remember that when my siblings and I were little we would pester our mother to go find the tree and let us decorate it. We held our breath when the star (or angel) was out at the top. It was a fun day, a prelude of  even more exciting things to come. Every night, my mother would light up the tree and I can still see the reflection of the multicoloured lights on the white wall.

We use artificial Christmas trees in Argentina, probably because the wooded areas are relatively small and very far from big cities. It is much easier to buy a tree that you can fold up and put away and not have to worry about pine needles falling on the carpet! And since it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, we are not familiar with the smell of pine trees and snow.

The next big day is Christmas Eve, when families get together for a big dinner that includes some European traditions introduced by immigrants. We eat, drink and make merry until midnight, when we have a toast and open the presents. Christmas Day lunch is a much quieter affair as most people are still recovering from the revelries of the previous night.

We have a week to get ready for yet another big event: New Year’s Eve. More food, more drink, more fireworks at midnight. More liver salts the next day! Just as Christmas Day lunch, New Year’s Day lunch is a subdued affair too.

The festive season draws to a close on January 6th. Children get more presents, this time left by the Magi. It’s time to put the tree away until the next December.

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A very Argentinean Christmas
Christmas around the world
Magic Christmas in Catalunya

Ceibo, Argentina’s national flower

With spring in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere, there is an abundance of flowers everywhere. This is the time when the ceibo -Erythrina crista-galli, also known as cockspur or coral tree- is in full bloom.

This fiery red flower was designated national flower of Argentina in 1942 for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons are that the tree grows in many parts of the country; that it is mentioned in legends, folk songs and poems and that the national coat of arms bears its colour.

 

 

 

Students Day and spring celebrations in Argentina

September 21 is a big day for Argentinean students: they celebrate both their day and the beginning of spring. According to a long-standing tradition, they get together in a park and have a picnic that lasts all day long. Unfortunately, because of the instability of the changing weather, it’s either rainy or chilly but rarely sunny.

Spring in Buenos Aires

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Camila O’Gorman, the romantic heroine of Argentina

Camila O’Gorman is one of the most famous romantic heroines of Argentina. Her ill-fated romance with Father Uladislao Gutiérrez was the scandal of the century. They defied the moral and social conventions of the time and caused a big uproar.

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