ArenaNet:International cultural references/Spain

International cultural references
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One of the most well known events in Spain is the 'Running of the Bulls' held during the festival of San Fermín, even though the Running is also a yearly event during the celebrations across Spainish towns and villages. Somehow, I can picture seeing rampaging animals running towards a group here in GW. FireyNuker 14:12, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

In the quest where you go to EotN, you run from Destroyers... i sort of thought of that as when you're running with the bulls. ^Teo^ 06:09, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

Might be fun to make a minigame out of it, perhaps during an in-game festival. I'm thinking something Norn-related; outrunning a herd of rampaging minotaur seems like the sort of crazy test of strength that would appeal to the Norn. --Mme. Donelle 11:28, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

While it's true that some villages and small towns in Spain still have those celebrations, it is related to Bull Fighting, with all the controversy and opposition that this issue creates in the Spanish society, mostly among young people. Besides, we don't really like it to be represented or associated with those kinds of old clichés.--Zarza 11:24, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

Another important event on Spain is Las Fallas [1]. Every year, in March, all the people in our city (and lots of tourists) enjoy about doing noise, dancing on the music with lots of musician bands on the streets. Also, La Mascleta, we love firecrackers and Fireworks in the night. But, the most important thing, we build up monuments called Fallas (check this image [2], that with irony summarize the important events of the last year, and in the last night, we burn them to forget all the bad things of the last year, and welcome the spring. Sorry, for my bad english. --ReiNaruto 08:07, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Also, most of the spanish people like this comic: Mortadelo y Filemon. They are two dudes, that works in "the TIA", equivalent to CIA, but they are poor, fooled and unskilled. Mortadelo always uses costumes, he can be a roman warrior, or an alien. --ReiNaruto 14:34, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

They are know outside Spain. For example, in English they are "Mort & Phil" and in German they are "Clever & Smart".

Ha, I liked that comic! There could be a shapechanger NPC like Mortadelo, and he would, like him, always keep his glasses whatever his disguise. - MORTUIЯUS 08:23, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Let's see... more things...

Spain is an amalgam of many different cultures, so references like "Fallas", "Toros", "Flamenco", "Sagrada Familia" belong usually to separate parts of the whole. In the same way Florida has... well... oranges and retired people, each Spanish region has very distinct features, as well as common things whit the other regions, with whole of Spain, with occident or the world.

Fools day is at 28th December. (Exceping in Galicia, where it was also typically at 1stApril)

We like to be lazy, to take things easy. Our culture is sometimes referred as a 'bar culture', since we like to spend a lot of time in pubs socializing.

There are some typical themes in jokes in Spain. For example, old retired men without anything else to do looking at construction sites, and telling the workers what to do... and we have themes that are typical everywhere, like workers in those sites complimenting girls passing by with harsh and 'imaginative' compliments.

In many parts of the s pain we celebrate the May Day, it's called "Los Mayos" in most of Spain and "Festa dos Maios" in Galicia. Way of celebration change form region to region. MithTalk 18:46, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Oh, well... I'm Spanish (catalana). I didn't know about "Los Mayos" until now. My people is not lazy. And we do nothing with bulls in our events. In fact, we hate when we speak with people and, as we say that we are Spanish, they speak to us about "toros" and "flamenco".

We like "sardanes", "castellers", "diables"... and many more things. Later (if I remember) I'll search some pages about these (now I don't have time).--Ceriwden 08:09, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

We also have "Revetlla de Sant Joan" and that's a pretty cool celebration to put it like an event (ok, catalans like me won't play that night but it can be a weekend event and everyone will enjoy it). I will try to put a link with english information about it.--Geoden 09:06, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Galicia

Spain is a compound of many regions and many cultures. They are all quite different between themselves. Galicia is one of those regions. We have our own language along the Spanish: the Galician. But we speak both Spanish and Galician, of course.

We have Celtic ancestry, and archaeological remains of celtic villages, our typical instrument is the galician bagpipe. We also have the 'fools day' at 1stApril we have a saying for that: "O un de abril van os burros ónde no deben de ir" (which means "1st of April donkeys go where they should not"). There are many Galician words that are not 'false friends' as opposed to Spansih counterparts (English: long; Spanish: largo; Galician: longo).

Famous dishes from Galicia are the "Lacón con grelos" (Shoulder of pork with Rapini), "Filloas" (a type of crepe) and a lot of dishes that have fish and other seafood.

Our typical animal is the wild boar. I always wondered why we have a Warthog in GW, but not a Wild boar, I would LOVE to have a wild boar with mi warrior. There is a children program called "Xabarín club" (Wild boar club) that is very famous in Galicia. A lot of Galician children were members of that club, by the way.

In Galicia you'll find the best water, the best ingredients, the finest red wine, the cleanest beaches (we have the record in blue flags). One you have been once in Galicia, you'll want to come back. You'll need to come back. It's the 'special power' of this lands. We were so proud of all of that, that we made up the slogan "Galicia Calidade" (Galicia Quality) and it became quite a success. Hm... there's a commercial that explains some things about Galicia in a funny way...Here it is

We celebrate in our own way the Carnival, called here "Entroido". All I can say it's that you have to see it by yourself.

At the first Sunday of may, we celebrate spring with plants and flowers. In some towns they make carpets of flowers, and in most they make 'maios' which are... well... a bunch of plants, flowers, fruits and other vegetables forming something... interesting.

You can find Galician people and descendants of Galician people everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. No matter how fast the light is, darkness has been before, but a Galician person has been there even before the darkness. We are like the Jansen family of gnomes in D&D or the Xunlai Chests in GW. No matter where you go, there is always one in town. MithTalk 18:46, 16 April 2008 (UTC)