Dear Members,

I’m working on a Halloween class for my Portuguese students and when I teach them how to say typical Halloween vocabulary and sentences in Portuguese, I tell them that Halloween is not a holiday celebrated in Brazil. English Schools usually celebrate it to bring the culture to their classroom environment, but we don’t have a tradition of celebrating it.

I can’t imagine how parents would feel to let children knock on doors asking for candy…..I don’t think it would be a culturally accepted party due to the reality in the majority of Brazilian Cities, where people are really careful about their children and their safety.

Leaving that aspect behind, I looked for some famous Brazilian Candy recipes which I will be sharing here on our blog:

This featured recipe is : Bom Bom de Uva

bombom de uva

Minha mae sempre fazia este doce nos nossos aniversa¡rios….( my mother always made this candy on our birthdays…)

Bombom de Uva

INGREDIENTES:

1 lata de leite condensado (395 g) (1 can of condensed milk)

1 gema (1 egg yolk)

1 cacho de uvas brancas sem caroco (tipo moscatel) ( 1 bunch of green seedless grapes)

300 g de chocolate cobertura ao leite (optional Chocolate for coating)

asucar refinado (refined sugar)

MODO DE PREPARO:

Leve ao fogo o leite condensado com a gema peneirada, mexendo at desgrudar do fundo da panela. ( Cook the condensed milk with the yolk until it is not sticking to the pot anymore)

Retire, deixe esfriar em um prato por no ma­nimo 6 horas (para que a massa descanse). ( Let it cool for at least 6 hours)

Modele a massa nas macos, formando capinhas para as uvas.( Open little pieces in round shapes, put the grape inside and close it)

Enrole uma a uma e passe levemente no ascar e pela cobertura de chocolate, dissolvida em banho-maria. ( coat with sugar and lightly on the melted chocolate)

I can guarantee it’s really good!

I hope you enjoy it and share here if you liked the recipe!!

Bom Apetite!

Claudia Krusch

CK Translations LLC

Dear Members,

After searching for info on some sites and contacting my Mexican and Spanish Translators, I have reached the confusing conclusion that there isn’t and there is Halloween in Spanish.

The Spanish speaking countries used to celebrate that date as Dia de Los Muertos,  Dia de las Brujas, Dia das Bruxas……..offering celebrations in honor of the dead. Nowadays, the tradition has changed in many countries and the trick or treat has been incorporated….Dulces o travesuras….and other ways of saying it!

The modern world linked us through the Internet, linking our cultures, costumes and more. Even in Brazil, where this wasn’t a date celebrated at all, the Halloween has slowly taken over, at first in English Private Schools, now in other Schools…..costumes and dancing are no longer a Carnival privilege, costumes and dancing have been brought to October, which is also celebrated in Brazil as the Children’s month.

My nephew Daniel asked for a spiderman costume to wear at his school party and looking for the costume, while planning Spanish Speaking Halloween Classes, brought all those issues and research around this theme.

Wikipedia has a good article on it. I would definitely recommend it!

No matter what your tradition is, Halloween for the kids is about having fun and bringing their fantasies to life, whether you have a princess, a pumpkin, x-man or a transformer, let and encourage children to expose their fantasies to day dream and most of all, be happy!!

Please contact me if you wish to have a copy of my lesson plans for ages 14m up to 10 years old on Spanish Halloween and links and videos to be used in class or at home.

Spooky Saludos,

CLaudia Krusch – Director

CK Translations LLC

www.easylearnlanguages.com

Dear Members,

I have used this song to teach present tense.

Enjoy!

Claudia Krusch

www.cktranslations.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBfu8f5pesM

http://letras.terra.com.br/ivete-sangalo/330694/