Centro de Difusión Cultural.
Cursos de Inglés Regulares e Intensivos - Spanish Lessons.
La Paz Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Tel. (612)122-43-87 iameryk@yahoo.com
Planteles en LA PAZ, PESCADERO-TODOS SANTOS, LOS CABOS.
30 Years Empowering Our People!
Thanks to all our friends, collaborators, and contributors who made possible to perform the different activities we did to Celebrate the 30th. Anniversary of Instituto de Inglés América, once again, Thanks you who makes it possible, so we can continue Empowering Our People!!!
Halloween, or Hallowe'en, is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. Traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting "haunted houses" and carving jack-o-lanterns. The term Halloween (and its alternative rendering Hallowe'en) is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day", also which is now known as All Saints' Day. Some modern Halloween traditions developed out of older pagan traditions, especially surrounding the Irish holiday Samhain, a day associated both with the harvest and otherworldly spirits. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century. Halloween is now celebrated in several parts of the Western world, most commonly in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom and occasionally in parts of Australia and New Zealand.
Many European cultural traditions, in particular Celtic cultures, hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world, and when magic is most potent (according to, for example, Catalan mythology about witches and Scottish and Irish tales of the Sídhe).
History
The modern holiday of Halloween has its origins in the ancient Gaelic festival known as Samhain (pronounced /ˈsˠaunʲ/ from the Old Irish samain). The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes erroneously regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, where the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them. When the Romans occupied Celtic territory, several Roman traditions were also incorporated into the festivals. Feralia, a day celebrated in late October by the Romans for the passing of the dead as well as a festival which celebrated the Roman Goddess Pomona, the goddess of fruit were incorporated into the celebrations. The symbol of Pomona was an apple, which is a proposed origin for the tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.
History of name
The term Halloween (and its alternative rendering Hallowe'en) is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day", also which is now known as All Saints' Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.
Symbols
Jack-o'-lanterns are often carved into silly or scary faces.The carved pumpkin, lit by a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols. This is a Scottish and Irish tradition of carving a lantern which goes back centuries. These lanterns are usually carved from a turnip or swede (or more uncommonly a mangelwurzel). The carving of pumpkins was first associated with Halloween in North America, where the pumpkin was available, and much larger and easier to carve. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their home's doorstep after dark.
The jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard drinking old farmer who tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and trapped him by carving a cross into the trunk of the tree. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack which dooms him to forever wander the earth at night. For centuries, the bedtime parable was told by Irish parents to their children. But in America the tradition of carving pumpkins is known to have preceded the Great Famine period of Irish immigration, and the tradition of carving vegetable lanterns may also have been brought over by the Scottish or English; documentation is unavailable to establish when or by whom. The carved pumpkin was associated generally with harvest time in America, and did not become specifically associated with Halloween until the mid to late 19th century.
The imagery surrounding Halloween is largely an amalgamation of the Halloween season itself, nearly a century of work from American filmmakers and graphic artists, and a rather commercialized take on the dark and mysterious. Halloween imagery tends to involve death, magic, or mythical monsters. Common Halloween characters include ghosts, ghouls, witches, vampires, bats, owls, crows, vultures, haunted houses, pumpkinmen, black cats, aliens, spiders, goblins, zombies, mummies, skeletons, and demons. Particularly in America, symbolism is inspired by classic horror films, which contain fictional figures like Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and The Mummy. More modern horror antagonists like Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Jason Voorhees, and the Jigsaw Killer have also become associated with the holiday. Homes are often decorated with these symbols around Halloween.
Black and orange are the traditional colors of Halloween.
Day of The DeadMexico celebrates a yearly tradition called Day of the Dead during the last days of October and the first days of November. Due to the duration of this festivity and the way people get involved it has been called “The Cult of Death.”
As in many Latin American countries, Mexico commemorates the Day of the Dead or All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. The legacy of past civilizations is graphically manifested on this occasion through people’s beliefs that death is a transition from one life to another in different levels where communication exists between the living and the dead. This communication takes place once a year throughout the country.
Differing from the Roman Catholic imposed ritual to commemorate All Souls’ Day, which is observed in many countries, the custom established by pre-colonial Mexican civilizations become a ceremony where indigenous beliefs blended with Catholic beliefs. Therefore, the Day of the Dead in Mexico is not a mournful commemoration but a happy and colorful celebration where death takes a lively, friendly expression.
Indigenous people believed that souls did not die, that they continued living in Mictlan, a special place to rest. In this place, the spirits rest until the day they could return to their homes to visit their relatives. Before the Spaniards arrived, they celebrated the return of the souls between the months of July and August. Once arrived, the Spaniards changed the festivities to November 2nd to coincide with All Souls’ Day of the Catholic Church.
Presently, two celebrations honoring the memory of loved ones who have died take place: On November 1st, the souls of the children are honored with special designs in the altars, using color white on flowers and candles. On November 2nd the souls of the adults are remembered with a variety of rituals, according to the different states of the Mexican republic.
The celebrations of Day of the Dead or All Souls Day are referred to differently in some of the states. For example in Yucatan it is known as Hanal Pixan which means “The path of the soul through the essence of food;” in the highlands of Michoacan it is known as Jimbanqua or the party honoring with flowers the people who died that year; in San Luis Potosi, Hidalgo and in the southern part of Oaxaca it is known as Xantolo and Day of the Dead in the majority of Mexico. Whatever name is given, this is an ancestral tradition that blended with Catholicism to create a special time and space to remember and honor the loved ones by offering them an ofrenda, the fragrance of the flowers, the light of the candles, the aroma of special foods and the solemnity of prayers. It is also a time to joke and make fun of death through “calaveras”, poetry allusive to a particular person, generally politicians; sugar, chocolate and amaranth skulls which are given to one another with their friend’s name so “they can eat their own death” and special crafts allusive to different aspects of the living, with skeletons representing daily activities.
People start getting ready for the celebration on the third week of October with the harvesting of the cempasuchitl flower, also known as the flower of the twenty petals or the flower of the dead which is sold in the market place or Tianguis, where the family goes to buy everything that they will need to put on the altar. On the altar they will place the ofrendas of fruits, vegetables and the special dishes prepared for the soul to enjoy the essence of the aroma of the food. This altar will also have items that once belonged to the deceased.
On November 1st in many towns the ritual of the Vigil of the Little Angels takes place in the cemeteries, particularly in the islands of Janitzio and La Pacanda in Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Little girls dressed in satin blouses and colored skirts, white stockings and shiny shoes are the center of this ceremony. Wearing the white pinafore, an important piece of the Tarascan feminine attire, the girls calmly comply with the tradition while they are observed from a certain distance by their parents. This is the way the tradition is passed down from generation to generation.
On November 2nd, the souls of the adults are honored in their homes with beautifully decorated altars. Each state has different styles but all of them represent a place where the ofrenda becomes a spiritual communion between life and death. Again, in each state the making of the altar and the rituals are different.
The celebration concludes in many towns with the vigil in the cemetery. In some places the vigil is done during the whole night of November 1st to November 2nd. In other towns the vigil is done during the day. Mysticism is the rule in the cemeteries, but in many of them music is also part of the ritual that combines religious prayers with the sounds of the trumpet playing a tune by a Mariachi band. In others it is a trio that sings a song by the tomb or in some cases even a band plays danzones at the entrance of the cemetery. Ritualistic dances are also part of the celebrations in many places honoring the deceased.
Whichever way is celebrated, Day of the Dead is a time of reflection about the meaning of life and the mission that one needs to fulfill. Death in many situations imparts a feeling of pain and loss, particularly for those who do not know the purpose of their path on this earthly plane. For others, death is transcendence, transformation and resurrection. During the celebration of Day of the Dead all those feelings and beliefs come together in a season that brings to life the memory of the loved ones.
WHY? is our gazette at Instituto de Inglés América Published for English and Spnish Language Students who want to practice and improve their language skills. Instituto de Inglés América Centro de Difusión Cultural. Cursos de Inglés
Viernes Octubre 15 a las 5:30 p.m.: “OBSERVATORIO CIUDADANO”
Chat by Bio. Liliana Gutierrez Mariscal
From NOS, Noroeste Sustentable A. C.
Viernes Cultural “Cultural Friday” 5:30 P.M.
OBSERVATORIO CIUDADANO
A iniciativa de la agrupación Plataforma Bahía de La Paz, conformada por ONG´s, pescadores, empresarios y autoridades, surge el Observatorio Ciudadano mediante el cual se pretende realizar recorridos semanales para observar, monitorear y denunciar ilícitos en la Bahía.
La agrupación inició en 2006 como el grupo Bahía de La Paz, el que surgió de la preocupación por los ilícitos que se cometían en el mar, problemas que observamos se salió de las manos de todos: autoridades, pescadores y grupos, los que coincidíamos en la necesidad de hacer algo, llegando todos a coincidir en la necesidad de mayor vigilancia en la Bahía en un desarrollo sustentable.
La Paz Baja California Sur. A 24 de Septiembre de 2010.
Asunto: Invitación.
ALUMNADO EN GENERAL
PADRES DE FAMILIA
PERSONAL DE INSTITUTOS DE INGLÉS AMÉRICA
SOCIEDAD SUDCALIFORNIANA
P R E S E N T E S:
SEIS LUSTROS DE ESFUERZO DE INSTITUTO DE INGLÉS AMÉRICA
Por este conducto invitamos a usted y su familia a participar en las actividades de Celebración del 30 Aniversario del Instituto de Inglés “América”, las cuales se llevaran a cabo durante el mes de Octubre (se anexa copia del calendario de actividades), en especial en el Festival Cultural de Aniversario que se realizará el próximo Viernes 29 de Octubre a partir de las 18 hrs. En las instalaciones de nuestro Plantel Centro, sito en Héroes de Independencia 1935 e/ N. Bravo y a. Rosales. Actividad en la cual nos gustaría contar con su presencia, y de ser posible con su apoyo para la realización de dicho evento.
Agradecemos de antemano su atención a la presente y el apoyo que nos brinden, esperamos contar con su presencia.
ATENTAMENTE:
LANGUAGE IS CULTURE
Comité Organizador
30 Years Empowering Our People!
Actividades de Celebración en Plantel La Paz Centro
Viernes de Octubre: Viernes Cultural “Cultural Friday”
Viernes 08: Tradicional “Mural Drawing Contest” concurso de dibujo.
Viernes15: Conferencia por Noroeste Sustentable NOS
Viernes 22: Exposición de Mascotas “Pet Show” de 17:00a 19:00 hrs.
Todos los días de Octubre: Acopio de víveres para instituciones de beneficencia como el Asilo de Ancianos y la Ciudad de los niños y niñas.
Viernes 29: Festival de Aniversario a partir de las 6:00 P.M. en Plantel Centro, Convivencia Artística, Cultural y Académica, Encuentro de Egresados, Ceremonia de Graduación de nuestra 41ª. Generación y Clausura de las actividades de aniversario.
Importante: Esta es una celebración de todos y para todos, estas actividades programadas son solo algunas de las que llevaremos a cabo durante este mes de Octubre, por lo que esperamos recibir sus sugerencias para hacer de esta celebración la mejor de todas. Puede hacer sus sugerencias a la Dirección a través de la Recepción del Plantel o a través de sus maestros. Felicidades a Todos.
September 16th, “El Grito”, the Shout or Cry for independence, is one of the most celebrated national holidays in Mexico. This year, 2010 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. There will be special events in Mexico City as well as in every Ciudad y pueblo around Mexico. Come join in the fun!
Yes, that means the biggest fiestas or parties in just about every part of Mexico on this day. While this is not when the Mexicans actually realized their independence from the Spaniards it is celebrated more than the famous 5 de Mayo (5th of May, when the Mexicans won the battle of Puebla but that’s another story) celebration that many northerners are so familiar with.
In the dawn hours actually on the 15th of September, Hidalgo and other conspirators such as Ignacio Allende rang the bell of the little church in Dolores and the ten year revolution began. In the following days the masses were able to take the cities of San Miguel, Celya and Guanajuato and almost entered Mexico City but Hidalgo ordered a retreat. The small band of loyal followers he had started with had grown rapidly into a mob of more than 10,000 over a period of days. It is said that Hidalgo feared what the angry mob would do to the capital city of his country.
Unfortunately for him, he was not able to really see the fruit of the seed he planted, as he was executed in July of 1811 after having been tried by the Inquisition. Hidalgo will always be known as the Father of Mexico’s Independence because his original “Grito” is what caused the revolution, to help Mexicans finally gain their independence from Spain.
President Pofirio Diaz on September 16th 1910 reenacted the ringing of the actual bell that Hidalgo had used one hundred years before to begin the social revolution that lead to Mexico’s Independence. The actual date of the “El Grito” is said to be the 15th of September but that was already Saint Pofirio Day which was President Pofirio’s birthday.
It is from that time, that the 16th of September has become one of the greatest fiestas every year where everyone gathers in the town square (zócalo) and is celebrated with the President of Mexico ringing of the same bell Hidalgo rang, which is presently at the government Palace in Mexico City, at 11:00 pm during the generally all night party and all shout
Viva Mexico!
Jaime
Taken from Baja Insider at: http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-life/holidays/inside_el_grito.htm
A todos los que han contribuido con su granito de arena para lograr lo que fuimos, hemos sido y lo que queremos seguir siendo, un Instituto de Inglés América mas comprometido con sus estudiantes, padres de familia, familiares, amigos, etc. Aquí en La Paz, Todos Santos Pescadero, Cabo San Lucas, San José, y próximamente Loreto, Santa Rosalía, Baja California Norte, Cd. Juárez y Zihuatanejo Gro. Muchas pero muchísimas gracias, porque sin todos ustedes esto seria imposible. Han transcurrido 10950 días como hoy, es decir 30 años, trabajando esforzadamente con una sola meta, entregar a nuestra tierra hombres y mujeres bilingües que con el conocimiento del Ingles forjan el futuro propio así como el de nuestro pueblo, son , ya casi 50 generaciones que hablan en carne propia de lo que aquí escribo, mismas que hoy se encuentran en su gran mayoría concentradas en B, C, S. Además del resto del país, Estados Unidos de Norte América, Canadá, Centro y Sudamérica y también en algunos países europeos.
Hoy celebramos este gran trayecto que seguro estoy habrá de llevarnos por nuevos senderos, siempre en busca de mejorar lo que hace ya 30 años empezamos. Por supuesto que no fue, no ha sido, ni será nada fácil, pero estamos acostumbrados a luchar contra corriente, no nos amedrentan las dificultades de ningún tipo, si nos tumban nos levantamos sin que la gran mayoría se de cuenta seguimos trabajando por continuar con nuestro sueño que aun no es realidad plena, pues faltan aun muchas cosas por venir, que seguro estoy tocara a nuevas generaciones continuar.
Considero mas que oportuno este aniversario para hacer un publico y merecido reconocimiento a todos aquellos que han trabajado incansablemente por lograr lo que hasta hoy somos, seguro que ya se estarán dando cuenta que me refiero a todos los que les venga tan merecido reconocimiento, quienes siendo honesto no son muchos por eso les pido que me acompañen en este pronunciamiento a nombre de toda la gran familia América para que brindemos un profundo agradecimiento al MAESTRO DE INGLES Y LIC. EN ECONOMIA José Antonio Avilés Cosio, por todos estos años en que con su tesón ha contribuido enormemente hasta hoy y su enseñanza seguro estoy serán las firmes bases de nuestro futuro, gracias Tony por haber entregado su vida al Instituto de Inglés América-.
Finalmente por el momento exhorto a egresados, estudiantes, padres de familia, compañeros de trabajo en todas las áreas a que sigamos haciendo mas Institutos de Inglés América, pues con ello seguimos plantando semillas fértiles en el hostil desierto de nuestro México, lleven pues muy en alto el nombre de nuestro instituto y sobre todo guárdenlo siempre en lo mas sagrado de su ser, porque así, sin lugar a dudas los guardo yo a todos, todos, en mi corazón. Muchas pero muchísimas gracias.
Atentamente: Profr. Joel Antonio Estamates Arroyo. Director General
It is also a time to joke and make fun of death through “calaveras”, poetry allusive to a particular person, generally politicians; sugar, chocolate and amaranth skulls which are given to one another with their friend’s name so “they can eat their own death” and special crafts allusive to different aspects of the living, with skeletons representing daily activities.
On November 2nd, the souls of the adults are honored in their homes with beautifully decorated altars. Each state has different styles but all of them represent a place where the ofrenda becomes a spiritual communion between life and death. Again, in each state the making of the altar and the rituals are different.
A iniciativa de la agrupación Plataforma Bahía de La Paz, conformada por ONG´s, pescadores, empresarios y autoridades, surge el Observatorio Ciudadano mediante el cual se pretende realizar recorridos semanales para observar, monitorear y denunciar ilícitos en la Bahía. 
La agrupación inició en 2006 como el grupo Bahía de La Paz, el que surgió de la preocupación por los ilícitos que se cometían en el mar, problemas que observamos se salió de las manos de todos: autoridades, pescadores y grupos, los que coincidíamos en la necesidad de hacer algo, llegando todos a coincidir en la necesidad de mayor vigilancia en la Bahía en un desarrollo sustentable. 
La Paz Baja California Sur. A 24 de Septiembre de 2010.
