Inauguration Day

This past Friday, the United States witnessed its 45th presidential inauguration. Although the president himself is controversial, the inauguration contains many traditions.

What is Inauguration Day? 

Inauguration Day marks the swearing-in of the incoming president. 

Thousands of people attend the Inauguration and fill the National Mall, which is the center of Washington D.C..

What Happens on Inauguration Day?

Before the president and vice-president are sworn-in, they drive to the Capitol together. Although they may not speak to each other during the ride, they carry out an important gesture that symbolizes a peaceful transfer of power. 

Once both elected officials arrive at the Capital, they are sworn in. After the vice-president is sworn in, the president-elect takes the Oath of Office administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Afterwards, the new president makes his inaugural speech.

After that, the president and vice-president attend a lunch hosted by senior Congressional officials.  

Once lunch is over, the president walks from the Capital to the White House, where he will be living and working for the next four years. 

After he arrives at the White House, a parade begins on Pennsylvania Avenue, which includes dancers, singers, military displays and floats. People from all over the country see and participate in the parade. 

An American New Year's Eve

While Christmas is around the corner, New Year's Eve is also a special night coming up! New Year's Eve is the last night of the year and ushers in the new year. Like in Spain, Americans have traditions that they closely follow.

In New York City, thousands of people gather in Times Square to watch a crystal ball drop at midnight. Even if you aren't in the Big Apple, millions of Americans tune into the event on their televisions.

This is crystal ball!

This is Times Square when the clock strikes midnight. The streets are packed and fireworks surround the square. 

After midnight, Americans sing the song Auld Lang Syne, which is an old Scottish song that has become an integral part of American culture. 

On New Year's Eve, most families attend parties with other family members and friends. They are out until very early in the morning! 

Holidays Far and Wide: A New Mexican Christmas

As all of you may know, the United States is a huge country with various cultures and traditions. New Mexico, where I am from, is among one of the most unique states because we have specific Christmas traditions that are not seen anywhere else.

New Mexican Christmases are a mixture of Hispanic, Native American and American-European customs. 

New Mexicans decorate their houses and streets with luminarias, which are lanterns that are created with placing candles in scoops (piles) of sand in paper bags. Luminarias are traditionally from Mexico. 

In addition to decorating homes, city governments and businesses decorate public spaces, such as parks, shopping districts and churches. Luminarias are lit for a few weeks in December, so families walk around at night to enjoy them. 

From Christmas Day (December 25th) until New Years Day (January 1st), many people watch Native American dances. There are dozens of different Native American tribes in New Mexico and each has their own distinct culture.

The following link are pictures from the Matachine Dances at Ohkay Owingeh, which is also known as San Juan Pueblo (like here)! These dances are held on Christmas day.

http://charlesmann.photoshelter.com/gallery/Ohkay-Owingeh-San-Juan-Pueblo-Matachine-Dancers-2009-2010-2011-photos/G00002VDXzGCPjv8/C0000iL8Rmnudh_0

Christmases in the United States are very different. It's not green pine trees and Santa Claus for everyone!

Unique Thanksgiving Foods

While Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday in the United States, people are crafting alternative foods.

Among some of the strangest, a handful of residents from Louisiana (a Southern state that borders Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico) make Coke Salad. The bundt-like cake is made of cherries, crushed pineapple, cream cheese, milk, cherry Jell-O, coca-cola, and chopped pecans.



In 2004, Jones Soda Company released a series of Thanksgiving-themed sodas--Green Bean Casserole Soda, Mashed Potato and Butter Soda, Cranberry Soda, and Turkey & Gravy Soda. None of these are my cup of team, or they don't suit my tastes.



In Idaho, a Western state straddled between Washington and Montana, a small sushi restaurant has crafted a popular sushi roll. At Bonsai Bistro, chefs reuse leftover Thanksgiving food to make the "Left Over Roll," which is comprised of smoked turkey breast, stuffing, dried cranberries, green beans, cream cheese, tempura, cranberry wasabi, red wine soy demi-glace.



Thanksgiving is generally a very traditional holiday, but more and more Americans are experimenting with different types of food. Because American families come from all over the world and have unique backgrounds, we are always willing to try something different!

Thanksgiving Food

In the United States, Thanksgiving is a popular holiday at the end of November. It is a day where people are thankful for everything they have. For example, people can express thanks for their family, friends, and pets.

Thanksgiving entails a big, traditional feast with family and friends. There are several types of typical foods:

Turkey with stuffing and gravy: Generally, turkey is roasted in an oven with stuffing inside. Stuffing is a mixture of bread, carrots, celery, onions, and butter. Gravy is made from the remaining liquids of the roasted turkey. When the turkey is done, gravy is drizzled over the turkey to make it more tender.

Mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes are, literally, mashed potatoes. You usually add milk, butter, and other spices.

Cranberry Sauce: Cranberries are mixed, or pureed, with sugar. It is eaten with the turkey.

Dinner rolls

Pecan pie: This is one of my favorite dishes! Pecan pie is made of pecans (a type of nut), sugar, flour, milk, butter, eggs, and many other ingredients.















 Questions:

1. What do Americans do on Thanksgiving?
2. What is stuffing made of?
3. What does "mashed" mean?
4. What is my favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Fun Halloween Costumes

As some of you may know, Halloween is on October 31st. It is a time for people, all ages alike, to dress as someone else for the night. Although there are typical costumes that people wear, a greater number of people are becoming more creative.



These kids dressed up a washer and dryer, which are very popular in the United States.

This girl dressed up as a Roy Lichtenstein cartoon character. Lichtenstein is a famous American pop art artist.



This boy dressed up as a pennie, which is worth 1 cents in the United States. It has Abraham Lincoln on the front!



She dressed up a Starbucks coffee drink! Starbucks is very popular in the United States. Particularly, frappucinos, which are made of coffee, milk, and whipped cream.

About me!

Hi!

My name is Rachel. I am American. I am from New Mexico, which is a state in the southwest. However, I grew up in many different countries for most of my life.

I lived in Baku, Azerbaijan for two years.

After that, I was in Cairo, Egypt.

From the middle of eighth grade to junior year of high school, I lived in Ankara, Turkey.

Finally, for my last year of high school, I lived in Quito, Ecuador. That's where I started to learn Spanish!

After I graduated from high school, I studied at Macalester College for four years. This small liberal arts college is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is home to several famous sports teams -- the Twins (baseball), the Vikings (American football), the Timberwolves (mens' basketball), and the Lynx (womens' basketball).

In college, I studied political science and legal studies. I have always been interested in becoming a civil rights lawyer or being a politician. I care about helping others and I believe that either of these professions strive for those goals.

After I graduated from college, I didn't know what I wanted to do. All I knew is that I was interested in returning to Spain (for the fourth time!), learning more Spanish, and learning more about education. As a result, I applied to be an auxiliar de conversación!

Now, I live in Huelva. It's very nice here!

Note: Although Americans attend universities, it is more common to say "college" instead of "university."

Comprehension Questions:

1. What are the four countries that I grew up in?
2. What did I study in college?
3.  Why did I return to Spain? How many times have I been in Spain?