preview

Spanish Culture Vs American Culture Essay

Decent Essays

Holidays around the world can be celebrated on the same day, but are celebrated in diverse, unique ways, due to differences in culture and tradition. The culture of Americans vs. people from Hispanic countries varies quite a bit related to holidays. There is Holy Week and Easter, Christmas and Navidad, Day of the Dead and Halloween, etc. Since traditions are such a big part of every person’s life, we need to be comfortable sharing them. This will help to understand differences between cultures.
I think it is a good idea to discuss the variances in American and Spanish cultures when it comes to holidays. For example, Christmas is celebrated in American culture around the idea of Saint Nicholas or Santa coming to town with gifts for the children and the birthday of Jesus Christ. In Spanish culture, it is different. They really focus on the birth of Jesus. They also have many traditional dances and songs that go along with the holiday. For instance, they dance the “Jota”, which is a traditional dance performed on Christmas Day, accompanied by guitars and castanets. Some similarities in the two would be that most in both cultures celebrate Christmas on both December 24th and 25th. Many people attend mass or church services and share …show more content…

Day of the Dead lasts 3 days and is very important to Spanish culture and tradition, as these are the days that their loved ones’ spirits come back. On November 1st, the little souls, or children spirits, are the first to return. November 2nd is when all the other spirits come. Families gather in cemeteries or houses and make alters to honor their deceased loved ones. In Spanish culture, Day of the Dead is viewed as a happy day. “You are not truly awake until you are dead,” is the quote that most Mexicans use, indicating that they believe that death is not a sad thing but a peaceful, beautiful

Get Access