Carla Soto
As a Spanish teacher living in Toronto, I’m always looking for many opportunities for my students to learn Spanish in different ways. I consider myself an old school teacher. I encourage them to learn Spanish grammar. But I like to combine it with fun and interesting activities. Culture plays a very important key to learn and experience Spanish. Latinamerica and Spain are rich and vast.
This time I took my students to have a Spanish lesson at a Mexican restaurant in Toronto. They had the opportunity to read the menu, order the food in Spanish and practicing speaking. Also listening to one of the owners of the restaurant, who talked about the different traditions of eating tacos in different parts of the country. We went there on Nov 1st (The Day of the Dead celebration). She had an altar and the theme of the night was this festivity.
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death. While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons).
“The altar honors those who have passed away to show them we haven’t forgotten them and they are still important in our lives,” said Caballero, who adds that the colour and scent of the flowers along with the candlelight are supposed to guide loved ones to the altar.