Last Sunday, in many Spanish speaking
countries, Father’s Day was celebrated, commemorating this man, the head of the
family who gives support to the wife and children. Today’s blog is about all
the traditions about what “Dad” means, what this man means to family and to
society in these countries.
“Father’s Day” celebration is getting more and
more important in Latin America, though it is not as important as Mother’s
Day. Some countries celebrate on March
19th St Joseph’s day (Jesus Christ’s father). This tradition comes
from European catholic traditions. Many Ibero - Americans adopted the date they
celebrate in the United States, that is on the third Sunday in June. But this
year is an exception, because June has been busy with other events. We had
presidential elections on June 17th, so we moved it to June 24th.
Now, the United States Father’s Day tradition,
it started on June 19th, 1909, when a woman called “Sonora Smart
Dodd” wished to make a tribute to his widower father, who worked very very hard
to raise five or six children of his own, and he dedicated his life to them.
Because of him, we celebrate every year our fathers who work to raise and
nurture us, to help or society to be moral and with values, and to set an
example.
Our
celebration of Father’s Day is somewhat equal everywhere, but Mother’s Day is
different in Spanish Speaking countries. If you want to go deeper, you can
read the article : “MOTHERS:
CELEBRATION DAY, ICONIC THINGS, NICKNAMES, PROVERB AND SAYINGS IN THE
LATINAMERICAN WAY OF THINKING” ( 18 May).
Now,
following with Father’s Day celebration, we take him out for lunch or dinner to
pamper them, knowing what they like and enjoy eating. With dinner come the
gifts. The little ones give him his gifts that can be chocolate candy, or
handmade cards, poems. The older ones give Father gifts like a book, a tie,
handmaid things, a perfume, clothes, or anything else. This day we celebrate
also grandfathers and uncles. The important thing is being reunited, a big one
happy family. Some schools have a party to tribute dads, they make like a
bazaar and each classroom prepares something. Handmade gifts, a song, a play.
It isn’t very common yet.
NICKNAMES
The Word “father” is too formal. It is used in
books, in England, and for greeting cards, no further than that. We use these
words or nicknames:
Papá (Dad) it is the most used. Viejo (old man)
for a father getting on in years, it is used in Argentina, mostly. Viejito (Little
Old Man) it is a very sweet way to call a very old dad. Pa is very used in
Mexico. Papi/Papito (daddy) are the ways children refer to their dad when they
are going to ask him something. Padre (Father) sounds distant, a bit cold.
Taita, tata, yaya is a fun way to call dad or grandpa, although Taita is the
tribe mang who knows about yagé or Ayahuasca (a decoction of the leaves of the
Ayahuasca plant with a long history of its entheogenic use and its status as a "plant teacher"
among the indigenous peoples of
the Amazon rainforest.)
Taita, tata or yaya come from two aspects:
Quechuan Language (Incan Language), and the other one, from Mixtecan Languages
(Mexico and Nicaragua). We also have (Cucho) (old man) a funny nickname for a
dad. Apa or Pai come from Arahuacan Languages. We also use Jefe (Boss) very
used in Mexico, papito, agüelo, yayo (in Spain), abu nono (Argentina), “Pa-pa”
in Mexico, and “abue”, “abuelo”, “bueli”, “tata”.
SOME PROVERBS OR SAYINGS
1. “Amor
de padre, que todo lo demás es aire” (Fatherly love, that everything else is
air). The same saying goes to Mothers. It means “Fatherly love is eternal and
you can trust him always. This saying comes from Spain.
2. “El
padre para castigar y la madre para tapar” (Father grounds, mother to hide). It
means Father is the one to penalize the children, and mother protects them and
excuses them. Nowadays both take care of reprimand their children.
3. “
De tal palo, tal astilla” (Chip off the old block): Our parents have to mold
us, and we get to be a lot like them.
4. “
Padre diestro, el mejor maestro” (Skilled father, best teacher): All your
father does right, you learn it and you apply it in your life every day.
The proverbs commonly used about the Father,
the presence of the father in the family implies discipline, hard work, and the
nagging allow us to remember some of his stories and some memories. And makes
us remember some of their typical phrases he used to reprimand us, makes us
laugh with them or cry remembering his memory if he passed away.
FOUR
TYPICAL PHRASES FROM OUR DADS
1) “Pregúntale a tu madre” (Ask your Mother): Some difficult question or permission
and he prefers Mom decide about it. Or maybe he doesn’t want to answer some
complicated or silly questions.
2) “
Esta es una democracia dictatorial en la que se hace lo que yo digo” (This is a
dictatorial democracy because I say so. Period). It means that if you live with
your parents you do what they say is right. You don’t make the rules.
3) “Si
alguien te pega, le pegas tú más fuerte” (If someone hits you, you hit them
harder): that’s father saying: “come on, don’t let anyone hurt you or bully
you”.
2) “ (Da igual que música se esté escuchandoquieres dejar de escuchar a los
endrogados esos?” (It doesn’t matter what music are you listening, Would you
stop listening to those “junkie”?) That’s a name for nowadays music, because
according to our parents that’s not music, it’s noise and the lyrics say
nothing.
In
the next video we will watch some memes for Father’s Day:
💖I hope you liked it! Happy week! 💖
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| WRITTEN BY ADRIANA MARTINEZ |
