This past week in school my lesson plans included a bit of history as well as culture on Halloween and how we celebrate it in the United States. What I learned from my fellow teachers is that many people in Spain do not celebrate or recognize Halloween. The students were all very excited to learn Halloween vocabulary in English and to color in vampire and pumpkin pictures I brought in. I explained to them that in the US people dress up as whatever they want, not necessarily something scary. Many people go as celebrities (I told the girls they could be Hannah Montana which needless to say got quite the reaction) or as cowboys, superheroes etc. I taught my students the following vocabulary:
Bruja: Witch
Brujo: Wizard
Caramelos: Sweets
Calabaza: Pumpkin
Fantasma: Ghost
Gato negro: black cat
Vampiro: Vampire
Escoba: Broomstick
Disfraz: costume/disguise
Truco o trato: trick or treat
My personal experience last night proved slightly different from what the teachers told me about Halloween in Spain. EVERYONE was out and DECKED. The streets were packed with groups of bloody doctors, nurses, goblins, witches, pumpkins and phantoms. Although I did not bring this up in my elementary school I would have to say a reason why young men and women love Halloween in the US is because the female population searches far and wide for the most promiscuous yet flattering and "cute" costume idea while the male race anticipates the findings and then a night of debauchery and role playing ensues. However, last night men went as vampires while their girlfriends were their victims-their faces painted completely white with red streaks all over their mouths and neck...not exactly "hot." So even though Spanish women don't use Halloween as an excuse to dress up as a man's ultimate sexual fantasy like they do in the US, they along with the Spanish men looked fabulous and I was thoroughly impressed by the turnout. Below is a picture of my American friends with some Spanish phantoms standing in front of the Cathedral.
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