MOTHERS: CELEBRATION DAY, ICONIC THINGS, NICKNAMES, PROVERBS AND SAYINGS IN THE LATIN AMERICAN WAY OF THINKING.

Last Weekend we celebrated Mother’s Day. This celebration is very common in all around the world in different dates. We honor our mothers, because they gave us life. For this matter I decided to write this post. You may think of a great diversity of origins, some cultural events we Latin Americans prepare for this day. Mom’s iconic things, the different ways to call her, her endless complaining, mom’s usual sayings, and some details from childhood. And I’ll finish this article with some proverbs either used by them, or alluding them. 

                  HISTORY  AND CELEBRATION  MOTHER´S DAY

Some of the History of Mother’s Day: The first celebrations were by the Greek to the Goddess “Rhea”. This is not directly related to the many traditional celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have existed throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele. But Greeks weren’t the only ones. In Latin America, Aztecs celebrated to Goddess “Coatlicue”, Mayans to Goddess “Ixchel” and the Incans to Goddess “Pachamama”. Only Incans descendant who live at the Cono Sur celebrate Mother’s Day on august 1^st in commemoration of Mother Goddess Pachamama.

In the Actuality  “Mother’s Day” comes from England. Then the United States establishes it and it expands to Latin America. Although, in some countries, because of historical or religious events, they celebrate this day on another date. In Bolivia they celebrate on May 27^th because that is the date when the Battle of Coronilla took place in Cochabamba. The date commemorates the Battle of La Coronilla, which took place on May 27^th, 1812, during the Bolivian War of Independence, in what is now the city of Cochabamba. In this battle, women fighting for the country's independence were slaughtered by the Spanish army. It is not a public holiday, but all schools hold activities and festivities throughout the day.

The feast for celebrating Mothers, Grandmothers and Aunts may change in every country. Usual things as take them to dinner, gifts, Mariachi serenade, music groups like Bolero, Andean or marimba, are common in most Spanish Speaking countries. Every region has its own traditions. In Guatemalan schools they make handmade crafts and activities to celebrate Mothers. They are Catholic, so they offer masses, blessings, prayers, etc. In Cuba they deliver Moher’s Day postcards. Many grew up seeing how their family made a list of known Mothers: aunts, cousins, neighbors and Friends, so they could sum how many postcards to choose the prettier ones and add a loving message. In Colombia its very common to give Mothers red flowers (roses, petunias, chrysanthemum, etc.), and go out on a road trip. If she deceased, we visit her grave and we put white or pastel colored flower arrangements and we offer a mass in her memory. 

NICKNAMES

The love to our Mothers is also expressed in how we call her: Madrecita (mummy), jefecita/jefa (boss) in Mexico, vieja (old lady) in Argentina, Cucha (old lady for low status people or joking), ma, mami (mummy), mamasaurius (joking with elder moms), La ley  "the law" (when mom is a little too bossy). We also have sweet names for our grandmas: Mama grande (Big mama), abebita (like in baby language), lita, or mama and her name (mamá Juana), baba, nona, abue, momo, nonita, tita, abuelinda (grandma-pretty), mita, buela, buelita, ita, mima or like in Cuba, mamuma.

In Latin America, the term “Mother”, either mine or someone else´s, usually has more value than “Father” because she always there for us, educate us, and teach us.The violence and wars in our countries made women widows or orphans and they became homes's heads, and they provide food and teach their children. They fight to mantain their families. There's a saying for this: Thank God for Mothers!. It's pejorative for men.

 ICONIC THINGS

With time, there are three things that identify a Mother: “la Chancla”  or “ Chancleta” ( The sandal), El cinturon, la correa o el cinto  (The belt)  and  " La cantaleta" ( Mom’s nagging).  These bring us memories about education, and Latin American Mother’s temper. There are a lot of posts where we joke about them.

1. The chancleta or chancla:   It’s a sandal made of rubber that holds the foot with a piece of cloth or a lace that grabs the big toe. “Chancleta” is more like a diminutive of “chancla”, and the cloth or lace work as a sash to hold the foot.  The may differ in the shape, both are used for the same thing: hit kids, adolescents and adults who don’t obey their parents or make something silly. The hitting is mostly on the legs and buttocks either with or without clothes. Some times in other body parts, if Mother has a good aim. There are three types of maternal hitting: 

Flying chancleta (sandal): This is when mom is far from her child, and she has a good aim, she will hit the child hardly and right on target.

3000 chancleta (sandal): A sandal trained to Dodge any obstacle between Mother and the child’s back or buttocks. Hits the target most of the time. 

Common chancletazo (sandal hitting): This is when our beloved Mother takes her sandal off and hit us wherever she can and she isn’t going to reason in any way.

2. The Cinturon, correa or cinto (the belt):  A band made of cloth, leather, rope or any flexible material you wear to hold your pants or a skirt. In one end it has a buckle (it’s usually metallic) and in the other it has holes to close the belt. Many of us were educated with a belt hit for saying bad words, swearing or cursing, being impolite to our parents or relatives, mocking people, being goofy, and so on, so we could become good-mannered and polite people.  

3.   The"Cantaleta":  Mom’s nagging (kind of a verbal diarrhea) where she expresses her anger to her children/husband/any human being. She may say something like: 

           OTHER EXAMPLES 

While I’m in this house, you will do as I say. 
  (Everyone in the house shall do what they are told to do, and they must obey Mother’s rules, if you disagree, you may leave).

·You are not the boss here, when you get a job and have your own house we’ll see. 

     (When we live   with our parents we shall obey their rules).

·Don’t look at me like that and you lower your voice!!

      (It’s used in a discussion when they are   shouting and moving their hands quickly or opening widely the eyes). 

·What do you think this is, a hotel? 

     (Mom says that when everyone goes to eat and sleep but there’s no family time).    

·If you keep crying I’ll hit  you so you have a motive. 

     (When mother finds out her children have done something bad and they know it was wrong and they start to cry before Mother says anything, so she throws this menace to stop the crying).

·If you keep talking back to me I’ll put your mouth front to back. 

     (We shouldn’t talk back, and if we do, she’ll slap us so hard on the cheek).  


                 PROVERBS AND SAYINGS IN THE LATIN AMERICAN WAY OF THINKING.  

Finishing this edition, I’ll leave some proverbs mostly used by our mothers, and some that come from them. 

1. MOTHER’S PROVERBS:

    ¡Al que madruga Dios le ayuda! is similar to "The early bird catches the worm":We should seize the day and grab the opportunities on time. Also, we must be cautious so we can make our goals. Always remember life is moving fast, so we shall move with it. 

     ¡Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente! is similar to “You snooze, you lose”: Don’t be lazy, it brings consequences. Life will not stop, so seize it.

     ¡ Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo! is similar to “There’s no substitute for experience”: We get a lot of experience and knowledge through the years. 

2. PROVERBS AND SAYINGS ABOUT THE MOTHER:

-  "Casa sin madre, río sin cause" is  House with no Mother, Boat in river with no paddle: Mothers are the base of the family. 

- "La madre y el delantal tapan mucho mal" is Mother and Apron cover lots of bad: it’s of great concern in view of the fact that a mother's level of education has a great influence on her children's education and the well-being of the household.

-" Madre holgazana cría hija cortesana" is Lazy Mother breeds prostitute daughter: It regards the bad ways of a Mother and how it shows on the daughters.

   SOME MEMES  ABOUT  " LA CHANCLA": 

     

WRITTEN BY ADRIANA MARTINEZ

     

5 OF THE MOST USED PROVERBS BY THE SPANISH SPEAKERS IN THEIR DAILY LIFE

Today, I wanted to write about the sayings or proverbs that we, Spanish speakers, use daily, and we know that sometimes are very interesting to learn and understand to foreigners, because they are part of the idiosyncrasy of our Hispanic culture.

In this publication I will show you five of the proverbs or sayings most used by Spanish speakers:  the differences between each country, their meaning, use and origin.

Enjoy!

NUMBER 1: INDIO COMIDO, INDIO IDO- INDIO COMIDO, PUESTO AL CAMINO             

( Indian eaten, Indian gone- Idian eaten, indian on the road-  Nicaragua)

MEANING: Its used when someone eats in anyone else´s house and leaves as son as he or she finishes eating. This act is either rude or unpolite for both: those who invited this person to dine at their house as much to their other guests. The polite way is to wait at least 20 or 30 minutes after everybody has finished their meal to leave. In english there is an proverb very similar: eat and run or indian fed, indian run. 

Although there is an exceptionq to the rule when someone has finish running an errand and can leave. But it is not very used.

ORIGIN: In the first place, we have the aborigin image who is misscalled indio, because Christopsher Columbus mistakenly thought he arrived to India. After seeing the people living in the teritorry he asumed the natives were “indios”. After many years and language miscegination, “being indio” meant being an aborigine, but also being a slave, a second-rate human being.

Such a condition, gave way to the peyorization of the indigenous as "Indian" and was related to him as someone badly educated, uncivilized, gross, clumsy, rude and others. 

Rooted in this Eurocentric thought before and nowadays, "Indio" is often a derogatory label against a person, regardless of race with no knowledge at all of manners or any other protocole. 

NUMBER 2: LA NECESIDAD TIENE CARA DE HEREJE / LA NECESIDAD TIENE CARA DE PERRO (The need has a face of heretic  -Spain – Chile / The need has a Dog´s face – Colombia)

MEANING: Refers to an urgent need for something, which must be obtained regardless of the means to which they have to resort to obtain it. Leaving aside their principles for imperious needs, committing acts that would otherwise be unthinkable, given that necessity drives them to cross their moral limits.

For example: a bully boss you have to bare because you need the money to pay your apartment fee, or you owe money to the bank, and your boyfriend/girflriend is unemployed, etc. For these cases apply the Proverb: “The need has a face of heretic” or as in Colombia, “The need has a dog face!”.

ORIGIN: Spain. But it is part of a Latin proverb “Necessitas caret lege” which means “Need lacks of law”. Therefore it could mean thejre should be a legal procedure  where someone could take shelter if she or he committed a fault because of desperation.

With time and with Cristianity arrival, the phrase became as we know it nowadays: “Need has a face of the Heretic. The apparition of the term “HEREJE” comes form vulgar latin where “LEGE” came to be “HEREJE” because the sound was similar. Althoug, Lege means Law.

Let´s remember: Heretic were those who didn´t believe in God, so, if they needed something urgently, they could deny God to achieve it. Now, about the use of “DOG”, it is related with “MAD DOG” and its used wen someone is in need, and doesn´t know about law or any reasonings and acts by impulses ignoring the law. Another association is that maybe the dog can take terrible punishments for food. 

NUMBER 3: EL QUE MUCHO ABARCA POCO APRIETA (Jack of trades, master of none- Spain and Latin America).

MEANING: Who wills to make many things at a time, won´t be able to make fine any. It is a popular proverb.  It is used to point out that whoever wants to get too much can end up with less than what can be obtained with realistic expectations. It applies in particular to the desire to undertake too many things at the same time.

For example: When you are incharged of the school play and your chores include scenery, dressing, the scripts, and call a casting, etc. In this case we say: ¡El que mucho abarca poco aprieta!.

ORIGIN: Spain and used by all the spanish speaking countries.

NUMBER 4:  ¡ HAY GATO ENCERRADO! (there is a cat locked, is like  in english  “There is a Catch” is used in Latin America and Spain)

MEANING: There is something fishy. Is an expression used to say there’s something not very clear or not very honest. That there are some secret maneuvers. This phrase prevents us  of a tricky business, a corrupt politician who doesn´t go to jail because he did something fishy. Here we can say: ¡ Hay gato encerrado!

ORIGIN: The genesis of the expression comes from a seventeenth-century practice in Spain, where it was common to make purses to keep money which were made with cat skin, therefore, the cat by extension, became the bag where I kept money. From there was the expression "have locked in cat", which is but a way of referring to the suspicious attitude of someone who has something hidden and wants to protect themselves from thieves. Thus, what originally came to mean the expression was that there was money hidden. But over time it happened to mean "having something hidden or not clear".

NUMBER 5: A CADA PAVO LE LLEGA SU NOCHEBUENA  ( Every turkey has its Christmas eve! – Colombia), A CADA COCHINILLO LE LLEGA SU SÁBADO (Every pork has a Saturday- Venezuela),  A CADA PUERCO LE LLEGA SU SAN MARTIN ( To every pork gets its St Martin -Spain, Argentina, Paraguay), A CADA CAPILLITA LE LLEGA SU FIESTECITA (   Every tiny chapel gets its own Little party- Mexico), A CADA SANTO LE LLEGA SU DÍA ( Each saint gets his day – Cuba, Peru).

 MEANING: This proverb is about Destiny. Every one wil recieve a punishment or a reward with each one´s actions. It usually has a negative connotation. Another relevance would be Kharma.

For example: When someone hurts us, maybe bully us or anything of the sort, we say: ¡A todo cerdo de llega su noche buena! In other words, fate will pay these people back for what they have done to us. 

ORIGIN: First of all, it is very important to clear this: The Word “CERDO” (pig), both Latin America and Spain, has eight synonims: Marrano, Chancho, Chanchito, Puerco, Cochino Cochinillo, Lechón and Guarro. At the same time “Cerdo” can be used to design a dishonest person, mean, with bad intentions, bad feelings, unfair.

Second of all, we have two celebrations: SAN MARTIN and CHRISTMAS. The first one is celebrated on November 11th in honour of St Martin of Tours, a very indicated date in many Spanis towns because the “Pig slaughter” takes place. In Argentina, St Martin de Tours is known as Patron Saint of Buenos Aires, the capital city (The city is dedicated to Him). As for Christmas Eve (December 24th), it is a Catholic celebration and it is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus.  In some of the Latin American countries, usually kill pigs for dinner.

As for the Turkey: It is a meal from the American´s Thanksgiving party. Some countries adopted this tradition for Christmas and some countries, such as Colombia were upper clases prefer to eat turkey and lower classes prefer pork.

About the third proverb: Every tiny chapel gets its own little party from Mexico, and Each Saint has a Day have the same significance of the above. The origin is uncertain.

Written by Adriana Martinez

5 DE LOS REFRANES MÁS UTILIZADOS POR LOS HISPANOHABLANTES EN SU VIDA COTIDIANA

El día de hoy, he querido escribir sobre los refranes o dichos que nosotros los hispanohablantes solemos utilizar frecuentemente en nuestro diario vivir, y que para  los extranjeros  suelen ser muy interesantes de aprender y entender, porque hacen parte de la idiosincrasia de nuestra cultura hispana.

En esta publicación  daré  a conocer cinco  de  los  refranes  o dichos más utilizados por los hispanohablantes, las diferencias existentes entre cada país, su significado, uso y origen.

¡Disfruten de la lectura!

NÚMERO 1

En Nicaragua también existe la forma: Indio comido, puesto al camino. 

SIGNIFICADO: Se usa cuando  una persona   come en casa ajena e inmediatamente después se marcha.  Tal actitud  es un signo de mala educación o descortesía, tanto para aquellos que  lo invitan a cenar, como para sus  acompañantes. La norma dice que al  finalizar la comida la persona debe esperar de 20 a 30 minutos más.  Por esta razón, cuando un invitado come y se va, se le dice: ¡indio comido, indio ido!  o ¡indio comido puesto al camino!  

También existe otra acepción, la cual se usa como sinónimo  de haber cumplido un encargo o una misión. Pero  este último  uso, no suele ser tan frecuente.

ORIGEN: Como primera situación,  se tiene la figura del indígena, quien es llamado  indio  porque Cristóbal Colón creyó haber llegado a la India.  Tras la aculturación “Ser indio” se refería a ser un aborigen, pero también a ser un esclavo, un ser humano de segunda categoría.  Tal condición, dio paso a la peyorización del indígena como “Indio”  y se le relacionó como alguien mal educado, incivilizado, bruto, torpe, grosero y demás.  Arraigado este pensamiento  Eurocéntrico  antes y en la actualidad  “Indio” suele ser  calificativo despectivo hacia una persona, independientemente de su raza.

Hoy en día,  se apela a la figura del indio como alguien mal educado e ignorante y se le incluye en el refrán porque se asume que toda persona de buenas costumbres, conoce las reglas de cortesía, a excepción de un indio, en este caso: alguien sin educación, que desconoce todo protocolo.

NÚMERO 2

SIGNIFICADO: Se refiere a una necesidad urgente por alguna cosa, que se debe obtener sin importar los medios a los  que se tengan que  recurrir para conseguirla. Dejar de lado sus principios por necesidades imperiosas, cometiendo actos que de otro modo serían impensados,  dado que la necesidad los impulsa a cruzar sus límites morales.

Como por ejemplo, un jefe abusivo que debes soportar porque tienes que pagar la cuota del apartamento, le debes a los bancos, tu pareja no tiene empleo etc. en este caso se dice: ¡ La necesidad tiene cara de hereje! O  “ La necesidad tiene cara de perro!

ORIGEN: Proviene de España. Pero se desprende de la frase latina usada en el antiguo Imperio Romano:  “Necessitas caret lege”  que significa “ la necesidad carece de ley” es decir,  es  una figura legal a la que  alguien se podía acoger si había cometido una falta por cuestiones de desesperación . 

Con el tiempo y la llegada del  cristianismo la frase fue convertida en lo que conocemos hoy  “La necesidad tiene cara de hereje”. La aparición del término hereje se da  dentro del latín vulgar en donde “ Lege” paso a ser “Hereje” porque el sonido era similar. 

Recordemos que  los herejes eran aquellos  que no creían en dios, así que si necesitaban algo urgente podían negar a la divinidad para conseguirlo.  Sobre el uso de  “Perro” se relaciona con "perro furioso" y se toma  en el sentido que cuando alguien padece necesidades, no conoce de leyes ni razonamientos y actúa por impulsos, ignorando las normas. Otra asociación que se puede tomar es el hecho que  el perro soporta palizas con tal de recibir un bocado de comida. 

El dicho Uruguayo tiene el mismo sentido de los dos anteriores, pero el origen de éste es incierto. 

NÚMERO 3

SIGNIFICADO: Quien pretende realizar muchas cosas al mismo tiempo, no será capaz de hacer bien, ninguna. Como tal, es un dicho popular.

Se emplea para señalar que quien desea obtener demasiado, puede terminar con menos de lo que se puede obtener con expectativas realistas. Se aplica en especial al deseo de emprender demasiadas cosas al mismo  tiempo. 

Como por ejemplo cuando te encargas de la obra de teatro del colegio y dices que tienes que  hacer la escenografía, los libretos, diseñar el vestuario y convocar la selección para los personajes, en este caso se dice: ¡El que mucho abarca poco aprieta!.

ORIGEN: Proviene de España y extendido y usado en todo el ámbito de habla hispana.

NÚMERO 4

Usado en España y América Latina.

SIGNIFICADO:   “Haber gato encerrado” significa que hay algo sospechoso. Como tal, es una expresión que se emplea para indicar que, en una situación determinada, tiene una razón oculta o hay manejos secretos. En este sentido, la frase se aplica a situaciones o acciones que despiertan desconfianza o inquietud, y que nos previenen ante un potencial engaño. De allí que se emplee para señalar dicha situación. Por ejemplo,  un político corrupto que dada todas las pruebas a la justicia para tener una larga condena, en la corte es declarado inocente y sale en libertad aquí podemos decir: ¡Hay gato encerrado!

ORIGEN: El génesis de la expresión proviene  de una práctica  del siglo XVII en España,  en donde era  común  la confección de monederos  para guardar dinero  los cuales eran hechos  con piel de gato, por ende, el gato por extensión, pasó a ser la bolsa donde se guardaba dinero. De allí quedó la expresión “haber gato encerrado”, que no es sino una forma de referirse a la actitud sospechosa de quien lleva algo oculto y quiere protegerse de ladrones. Así, lo que originalmente venía a significar la expresión era que había dinero escondido. Pero con el tiempo pasó a significar  “haber algo escondido o no claro”.

NÚMERO 5


SIGNIFICADO: Con relación al refrán,   alude al destino, es decir, cada quien recibirá en su momento su castigo o recompensa por sus acciones. Aunque  normalmente tiene una connotación  negativa.  

Otra correspondencia con su significado sería el Karma.

Por ejemplo:  cuando alguien  nos hace un daño  sea que nos robe, nos trate mal o similar decimos: ¡A todo cerdo de llega su nochebuena! Es decir, que a esa persona le harán lo mismo en algún momento de su vida.

ORIGEN: Como primera situación y para dilucidar el origen del refrán, es necesario determinar que “Cerdo” tanto en América Latina como en España tiene ocho sinónimos muy conocidos para designarlo:   Marrano, chancho, chanchito, puerco, cochino, cochinillo, lechón, guarro. Así mismo, éstos poseen varias connotaciones en este caso en especial  “Cerdo” hace referencia a una persona deshonesta, malvada, de malas intenciones, de malos sentimientos, injusta.

Como segunda situación, tenemos las celebraciones de SAN MARTÍN y la NOCHEBUENA. La primera, es una  fiesta que se celebra el 11 de noviembre en honor del santo Martín de Tours, siendo una fecha muy señalada en muchos pueblos de la geografía española porque  tiene lugar la matanza del cerdo”.  Con relación a San Martin  de Tours en Argentina, se le conoce como    el santo patrón de Buenos Aires la capital de éste país.   En cuanto a la fiesta de Nochebuena, es una celebración que tienen los cristianos católicos, sucede el  24 de diciembre, víspera a la navidad (nacimiento de Jesús)  en donde  algunos de los países latinoamericanos,   acostumbran matar cerdos para la cena. 

Con referencia al Pavo, Es una animal que acostumbran comer el día de acción de Gracias los estadounidenses, práctica asimilada para algunas naciones de américa Latina como Colombia, en donde tanto  la clase media  como  alta,  tienden a utilizar el pavo  en sustitución  del cerdo, para la Nochebuena.

Sobre la  tercera situación los refranes: A cada capillita le llega su fiestecita de México y a cada santo le llega su día de Cuba y Perú, poseen el mismo significado  que los anteriores, pero el origen es incierto. Si conoces su génesis,   agradecería dejar el enlace o procedencia en los comentarios. 

¡ Gracias!

Adriana M. Martinez Castro . Profesional en estudios literarios. Profesora de español como lengua extranjera nivel intermedio y avanzado. Fundadora de “ESPAÑOL VIVO”.  Apasionada por la enseñanza del español. Amante de la literatura en general.  Curiosa por antonomasia. Adicta al café y al chocolate blanco.

onlinespanishespanolvivo@gmail.com