Skip to main content

Rosca de Reyes

Image
By
     Yesterday was the day of the Rosca de los Reyes (bread of the wise men). The tradition, which is a fusion of Spanish and Mexican cultures dating back to the Spanish conquest, includes parting a large round loaf of sweet bread that is typically adorned with candied fruits. The circular nature of the bread is meant to represent the circle of life, and baked into the loaves are small muñequitos (figures) of the baby Jesus. The custom is for each person to cut their own piece of the rosca anywhere in the circle that they wish, and the person who finds the figure in their piece is charged with making tamales for the whole group for the next holiday: Dia de la Candelaria which falls on February second. Since the day of los Reyes is so well known, it is possible to find a muñequito multiple times during the day, at work, at school, and at home! The día de los Reyes is also a day for gifts, for just as the three reyes magos (wise men) brought gifts to baby Jesus, so do these modern reyes bring small gifts to the children. After our short Mayan class last night, we parted a rosca together in the school!
Lilyana

Emanuel

Hale

Rosa

Emma

Kendall

And Emily gets to make the tamales!

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Orientation 2024: A Journey along the East Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula

By
We began our orientation trip for the College of the Atlantic Yucatan Program on the beautiful eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo. We avoided the main tourist hubs of the Riviera while visiting historical sites, influential cities, and small communities that welcomed us in to see how they are working to preserve their environment and maintain cultural practices. Along the way, we met some amazing families, ate delicious food, learned about the history of the peninsula and worked our way closer to our final destination, the city of Merida, capital of the state of Yucatan.                                   Our journey began on the beaches of the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, where we visited one of the most important archeological sites from the Mayan Postclassic period, the ancient city of Zama, better known today as Tulu...
Read more

Our Days in Merida

By
This stage of the program in the capital city of Merida is the first true immersion for our students, They begin to acclimate to the way of life here with their local host families while having daily classes that push them to continue learning while also providing a comfortable space to ask questions and explore concepts. Our adventure in Merida began with a very important element of this program: meeting our host families who will walk hand-in-hand with our students for this first part of the immersion process in the city. It is thanks to our wonderful Yucatecan host families that our students will better adapt to this urban context.  Another important and necessary element during our time in Merida are Spanish classes, because the language is key for interacting with, and diving into, the culture. During this class, students not only learn grammar and structure, but also develop their linguistic abilities using colloquial forms of speech.           ...
Read more

Yaxunah: Our Days in the Pueblo

By
Before our next adventure began in the community of Yaxunah,Yaxcabá,Yucatán, we first visited the traditional pottery studio “Najil Kat” belonging to the family Espadas Xooc, in Uayma. Here, the students had the chance to explore the diverse materials and traditional techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation in this family of artists. With the help of Virgilio, we learned about the many types of local soil and clay that are mixed  to make a diverse range of creations like vases, plates, mugs, toys, musical instruments, incense holders and more. As part of the workshop, each student sculpted their own little artistic creation, exploring their creativity and the skills necessary to work with the clay. Similar to the time spent in the city of Mérida, the families in Yaxunah are an invaluable aspect for the students to settle into the rhythm of everyday life. The arrival to Yaxunah marks the beginning of a beautiful new family relationship. Students can make s...
Read more