Toast the New Year with Lemon Champ

With New Year's Eve only a day away, I've been working to finalize our special dinner menu. We typically ring in the holidays here with a glass of sidra (a sweet sparkling alcoholic apple cider) or champagne; however, it's nice to switch things up a bit now and again. So, this New Year's we're going to toast with a delicious and refreshing champagne cocktail known as Lemon Champ. 

The first time I ever tried this tasty beverage was at a restaurant here in Necochea called the Taberna Española, where it was listed on the menu as Limonchamp; however, Mr. Google says the more popular spelling is Lemon Champ. Regardless of how you spell it, this drink is a simple, elegant and festive way to ring in the New Year (or any other special occasion).

Along with the typical menu and drinks prepared by Argentines for Christmas and New Year's, a few other traditions are observed as the year draws to an end. In Buenos Aires, some individuals and businesses shred old calendars, magazines and documents from the past year and toss them out the window like confetti. Out with the old and in with the new, I suppose.

Also, many Argentine women uphold the tradition of wearing a brand new pair of pink panties (or red, according to some) on New Year's Eve to bring luck, money, or a boyfriend, in the case of single ladies. These undies must be received as a gift on Christmas, preferably from a female friend or family member, in order to function as a good luck charm.

So, put on your pink knickers, grab a glass of Lemon Champ, and toast to a New Year filled with love, health, happiness and success. ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Lemon Champ | Champagne Cocktail with Lemon Sorbet
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pint lemon sorbet
750 mL bottle brut champagne, chilled
twists of lemon zest or fresh strawberries, for garnish [optional]

Directions

Remove sorbet from freezer and let soften for about 10 minutes. Scoop sorbet into a large pitcher. Pour half the bottle of champagne over the sorbet, and stir briskly to blend. Pour into champagne flutes, filling each glass halfway. Top off each flute with champagne from the bottle. Garnish each glass with a twist of lemon zest or a strawberry, if desired. Serve immediately.

[Image credit: evalottchen]

Read More......

Argentine Wedding Superstitions about Rain

Want to avoid rain on your wedding day? Here are various Argentine superstitions and customs that supposedly ward off the storm clouds.

1) Stick a knife in the ground.

2) Sprinkle salt in the shape of a cross in the garden or yard.

3) Bury an egg in the ground.

4) Take eggs to the Sisters of St. Clare of Assisi, the patron saint of good weather, and ask that the nuns pray for a rain-free wedding day and a happy marriage. This custom originated in Spain and was later adopted by Argentine brides looking for a way to ensure sunny skies on the day of their nuptials. Argentine brides also deliver eggs by the dozen to the Benedictine Nuns of St. Scholastica (patron saint invoked against rain and storms) and the Discalced (Barefoot) Carmelite Nuns.

Should you require an umbrella on your big day, don't fret. The Argentines believe that rain on your wedding day brings good luck.

---

Speaking of weddings, if you want to get all the details on a super lux wedding in Buenos Aires taking place this coming weekend, check out the blog of the fabulous Andi Perullo at My Beautiful Adventures. Congratulations to the bride and groom! ¡Felicitaciones a los novios!

[Photo credit: La Nación]

Read More......

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos in Argentina

The celebration of the Epiphany, known as El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos in Spanish-speaking countries, takes place on January 6. This feast day commemorates the presentation of the baby Jesus to the Three Wise Men or Magi, who traveled from afar to worship him and bring him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gift-giving now forms a central part of the festivities on El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos.

The Argentine celebration of Reyes, as most here refer to the holiday, is tied to traditions that originated in Spain. Argentine children write letters to the Three Kings—just as kids in the United States write to Santa—asking them for gifts and describing their exemplary behavior throughout the year.

On the night of January 5, the little ones place their shoes in the window of their bedroom or by the door to the house. They also leave water and grass nearby for the Wise Men's camels.

The next morning, the children awaken to find that the Reyes Magos have left them a gift on top of their shoes. While Argentine kids usually receive a gift or two from Papá Noel (Santa Claus) on Christmas, Daniel recalls that the Wise Men always brought him the best presents.

Reyes also marks the end of the holiday season, and most families take down the Christmas tree and other decorations on this day.

The food most traditionally associated with this special day is the rosca de reyes, which begins to crop up in neighborhood bakeries just after New Year's. A sweetened yeast bread formed into the shape of a ring, the rosca de reyes symbolizes both the crowns of the Three Kings and God's unending love. In Spain and Mexico, bakers slip a bean or a small figure of the baby Jesus into the rosca de reyes (also called roscón de reyes in Spain); however, this custom is not observed in Argentina. The Argentine version of the rosca is usually topped with pastry cream, candied cherries (and/or other candied fruits) and pearl sugar, and it’s usually smaller than the Mexican and Spanish roscas.

Check out my recipe for an Argentine-style rosca de reyes.

¡Feliz Día de Reyes!

Read More......

Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Argentina

The Catholic feast day known as El Día de la Inmaculada Concepción (or El Día de la Virgen), celebrated on December 8th, is a public holiday here in Argentina.

As a non-Catholic, I admit that I'm not exactly up on all the details of the Church's dogma, various saints, feast days, etc., but I still find the information interesting.

When I first learned of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I mistakenly assumed that this feast day celebrated the conception of Jesus. Thankfully, there's always the handy-dandy site Wikipedia to clear up the confusion on pressing questions of faith:

The Immaculate Conception of Mary is, according to Catholic doctrine, the conception of the Virgin Mary without any stain of Original Sin....The doctrine states that, from the first moment of her existence, Mary was preserved by God from Original Sin and filled with the sanctifying grace that would normally come with baptism after birth.

According to Artcyclopedia, "The idea is central to the belief in her absolute perfection and purity as the vessel of Christ's incarnation."

While some will head to church to honor the Virgin Mary through prayer, from a cultural perspective, the most important aspect of the Día de la Virgen lies in the fact that it's the unofficial start of the holiday season and the day when almost all Argentines set up and decorate their Christmas trees. Since my family never trimmed the tree on a pre-determined day, I decided to jump on the Argentine bandwagon, and now I break out the ornaments on the 8th, too. Here's a post about our Christmas tree from last year. [I'll have photos of this year's tree soon.]

The lighting of Necochea's community Christmas tree also takes place today, complete with music by the Banda Municipal and a performance of the "The Nutcracker" starring a local ballet troupe.

Fake trees are the order of the day here in Argentina, with live Christmas trees being extremely difficult to source. Apparently, the local government does offer small pines for sale at Parque Miguel Lillo (the municipal tree nursery is located there), but honestly, I've never really investigated that option. My friend Cherie at tangocherie keeps a small, potted evergreen on her terrace in Buenos Aires to decorate at Christmas.

I'm content with the artificial tree my stepdad gifted us and the collection of ornaments that I brought with me from the United States. Every ornament represents a memory of a Christmas past, and I derive a lot of pleasure from unwrapping them, reminiscing about them, and placing them on the tree.

Do you have a special day to decorate your Christmas tree? Tell me about it in the comments.

Read More......

Mind Your Manners: Etiquette in Argentina

The site Travel Etiquette attempts to unravel the mysteries of proper etiquette and social customs around the globe by providing advice broken down by country. Here's a snippet on how to mind your Ps and Qs in Argentina:

"…punctuality is not rigorously adhered to in Argentina. It is not considered rude to be 30 to 45 minutes late for a dinner invitation…."

Based on my experience, I'd have to agree with this statement. Argentines tend to hold a more relaxed view of time and are rarely punctual when it comes to social events. If you're a stickler for timeliness, try to loosen up a bit or else you will go insane here.

On a related note, friends and family don't generally call in advance to arrange a visit. Be prepared for visitors who drop by when you least expect them, as well as last minute invitations to asados and other get-togethers. Plans are made very spontaneously here, so just go with the flow. [Tina from Tina Tangos talked a bit about this recently on her blog.]

Here's another cultural difference that the Travel Etiquette article highlights:

"…don't be alarmed or surprised to hear what you might consider to be name-calling or swearing amongst friends. In this instance, political correctness certainly does not rule supreme, and Argentines might readily use phrases such as 'fat'…when talking to friends."

I can't tell you how many people here have descriptive nicknames like "El Gordo" (Fatty), "La Rubia" (Blondie) or "El Negro" (in this context, usually used to refer to someone dark-complected or olive-skinned but not necessarily black). I'm fairly certain that most women (and probably a few men) in the U.S. would be horrified if their friends christened them with a nickname like "Fatty," but it really and truly is not considered offensive here. 

The Argentines call a spade a spade, and no one gets worked up about it. That's not to say that these words are never construed as an insult—it's all a matter of context and tone of voice—but among friends they're regularly used as terms of endearment.

Read the full text on etiquette in Argentina, and add your two centavos' worth in the comments.

Read More......

Witches, Bonfires & Dancing at the Festividad de San Juan

With roots in the pagan celebration of the summer solstice, the Festividad de San Juan [Feast of St. John] celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist while retaining a number of pre-Christian rituals. The Feast of St. John falls on June 24th, but it's not unusual for the festivities to take place on an alternate date sometime around the solstice. [1]

Midsummer festivals and celebrations in honor of St. John are not unique to one particular corner of the world; however, I'll focus on the traditions of Spain's Basque region (País Vasco), since those are the customs that have influenced Necochea's Festividad de San Juan.

In the heart of the País Vasco, on the eve of the Feast of St. John (San Juan Sua), bonfires are lit to ward off evil spirits. Custom dictates that the young people must jump over the fire three times to purify themselves and bring good luck. It's also traditional to throw objects into the fire that represent things the person desires to change or leave in the past (e.g. a smoker may throw a pack of cigarettes in the fire if he wishes to quit). Sometimes these wishes are written on scraps of paper that are tossed into the fire. [2]

A tremendous wave of European immigration at the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th century brought a number of Basques to Argentina. The immigrants kept alive many of their traditions from the "old country," and so the Festividad de San Juan continues here in Necochea, which is home to a significant Basque community.

This year's Festividad de San Juan was held on June 20th in front of the Centro Vasco Euzko Extea (the Basque Cultural Center) in Necochea. In contrast to the celebrations in the northern hemisphere, the festivities here took place on the eve of the winter solstice. A giant papier–mâché witch was mounted above a bundle of sticks in preparation for a roaring bonfire. Merrymakers launched firecrackers and then set the towering witch ablaze as costumed dancers twirled about, illuminated by the fire. Following the burning of the witch, a huge dinner was served in the Centro Vasco (I know a good witch burning always makes me hungry).

[Lighting the bonfire]

[Witch + Fire = Bye Bye Evil Spirits]

[The Basque dancers]

If you'd like to see more images from the Festividad de San Juan, I have a second video available and additional photos.

Here's hoping your summer/winter solstice (whichever the case may be) was free of evil spirits. I know mine was.

Sources:
[1] Wikipedia
[2] Euskalkultura.com [in Spanish]

Read More......

Holy Week & Easter in Argentina

Someone has kidnapped the Easter Bunny. I'm convinced he's been taken for ransom because I haven't seen hide nor hair of him here in Argentina. Did I mention that the kidnapper made off with all the Easter baskets, fake grass and plastic eggs too?

Easter in Argentina is primarily a religious celebration, and as such, many of the non-religious traditions that we associate with Easter in the United States are notably absent here. There are no Easter egg hunts, no baskets filled to overflowing with candy, and no hippity-hoppity Easter Bunny.

But none of this means that Argentina is devoid of tradition at Easter. Here are a few of the Argentine customs associated with Holy Week and Easter.

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

Every year during Holy Week, thousands of Argentines make a pilgrimage to the city of Tandil, situated about two hours north of Necochea. The Vía Crucis, which features 14 groupings of stone sculptures depicting the Stations of the Cross, attracts the faithful who look to worship and meditate upon the sufferings and sacrifice of Jesus.

The Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent is not widely observed, though most Argentines refrain from eating meat on the days leading up to Easter, beginning with Holy Thursday. Empanadas de vigilia (empanadas that feature non-meat fillings such as tuna or vegetables) figure prominently on the menu at this time along with fish dishes.

In Argentina, Palm Sunday is called Domingo de Ramos (Branch Sunday), and olive branches are blessed and distributed by the priests instead of palm fronds.

Viernes Santo (Good Friday) is a national holiday in Argentina, and most businesses are closed until Easter Monday. In fact, a number of shops will close their doors one day earlier on Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) to make a four-day weekend of the holiday. The traditional meal served on Viernes Santo is a stew that includes bacalao (salt cod). Daniel's family typically prepares bacalao con garbanzos (salt cod with chickpeas).

La Pascua/Domingo de Resurrección (Easter Sunday)

On Easter Day, most families gather to celebrate with an asado, with lamb as a popular choice. After the Easter meal, Argentines tuck into a large, hollow chocolate egg (huevo de Pascua) or small Kinder eggs (hollow chocolate eggs with tiny candies or toys inside). The rosca de Pascua, a bread ring topped with sprinkles, candied fruits, chocolate drizzles and/or pastry cream, is also very traditional.

What the Argentines lack in terms of candy and visits with the Easter Bunny at the mall, they make up for in time spent with family and an appreciation for the religious meaning of the celebration. ¡Felices Pascuas!

[Photo credit: Celina Ortelli]

Read More......

Argentina's National Drink: Mate

Imagine the scene: the sun is blazing overhead and tiny beads of perspiration have begun to form on your forehead and upper lip. You're on the beach in Necochea, surrounded by a veritable sea of sunbathers and colorful beach umbrellas. You conclude after a few minutes that you could really use some sort of liquid refreshment, so you saunter over to the snack bar to peruse the offerings. Ah, there's nothing more thirst-quenching on a scorching summer's day than some...hot water? Yep, that's what the sign says. Agua caliente $1.

Though you may be left scratching your head, any Argentine worth his salt would know exactly what to do with that hot water: prepare mate [pronounced mah-tay]. Argentines never need much of an excuse to drink their beloved infusion, which is often compared to an herbal or green tea.

When Daniel and I took a trip to Bariloche last year, I would have liked a peso every time one of the guides mentioned: "X es un hermoso lugar y además es un lugar perfecto para tomar mate." [X is a gorgeous place, and it's also a perfect spot to drink mate]. While relaxing, either alone or with friends, no matter when or where, mate is the beverage of choice for just about every Argentine.

Even my cat Cocoa drinks mate now that he's living here in Argentina:

Take a look at this brief video clip that does a great job of explaining what mate is, how it's cultivated, and its importance in Argentine culture.

[If you can't see the embedded video, please click here.]

Many people raised outside the tradition of mate don't really care for the taste, which is normally described as "green," herbal or bitter. Frankly, it's not my favorite. My stepdad, however, got hooked on mate after he first tried it back in October, and now he drinks it on the job with his co-worker.

Although I don't particularly enjoy the taste, what I do appreciate about mate is its significance as a ritual and the way it brings people together. The ritual of preparing mate is comforting in and of itself, and the joy of sharing it with others strengthens bonds. An invitation to share mate is considered an honor and a sign of friendship. It also offers something to do to pass the time, especially when you're by yourself. As Daniel's aunt once put it, "When you're alone, mate is your friend—it keeps you company."

So, if you're sitting at home thinking that your taste buds could use a little high adventure, perhaps you'll consider trying mate. Like everything else on the planet, you can buy some on Amazon.com: click here or here to check it out. I, for one, will stick with my iced tea.

[Update 1/9/11: I now drink mate on the beach, too. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.]

Read More......