I had no idea how popular video games were until I heard about gamers becoming celebrities by posting videos of themselves on youtube talking about the games they play. Personalities like El Rubius have inexplicably amassed millions of fans around the world. The number of viewers anxiously tuning in everyday to watch Minecraft players talking about Minecraft is mind blowing.

The questions on museum director’s minds is how to compete for young people’s attention in a fast-paced world where observing visual creations has little to do anymore with wandering around stuffy silent galleries full of motionless paintings and much to do about intense often violent graphic action coupled with homey comforts like a soft comfy couch. How long would a museum exhibit hold the interest of most avid Minecraft players?

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em

The Thyssen Museum has joined forces with Sony Computer Entertainment España to create Nubla, a videogame for the Playstation that seeks to blend influential masterworks by the likes of Edward Hopper and Ludwig Meidner with entertaining gaming technology (an institution that you may or not consider masterful art in itself). Players will get to virtually journey into the scenery of paintings.  

The director of the project, Daniel Sánchez Mateos is quoted in El Pais as saying “we’ve tried to transfer the museum’s works and artistic style to a dreamy world of adventures”. Artists for the game also admitted that the biggest challenge was rendering faithful imagery of the museum’s masterworks without copying them.

It seems more than unlikely that El Rubius’ 9 million plus army of gaming-fanatic channel-subscribers will promptly dump their crafting materials to play a game about a museum of paintings, no matter how dreamy it is. But the Thyssen’s new video game may offer a revealing peak at the direction of art enjoyment. Is the old school museum format getting old? Some wonder if new generations now need art technologically modified in hyped up videogame format to accommodate an unhealthy codependence on sedentary screen interaction. Is it fair to ask if the Thyssen is enabling videogame junkies? Do our shrinking attention spans have any space left for fine arts exhibits?

Does the bold move to go for gamers spell inevitable permadeath mode for the future of museums? Or is the Thyssen addressing a realistic need to update its attitude on what it considers art. The kernels of the debate seem rooted in the question of whether or not we can consider videogames legitimate pieces of art.

Video Game Art?

Are video games art? Is playing them a cultural experience in any way? Traditionally, art museums have paid little attention to them. But video games seem to have become an elephant in the room who’s not going away, and the Thyssen isn’t the only museum that’s decided to come to terms with him, to talk to him.

The MOMA in New York has a permanent gaming exhibit that currently features 14 games, which according to moma.org are “astounding examples of interaction design”. Games on display include Pac Man and Donkey Kong. A blog post by the museum’s Senior Curator Paola Antonelli answers the question of whether video games are art by stating “they sure are…” MOMA hopes to acquire 40 games in total over the following few years, where selection criteria for the games includes, among other things, “the elegance of their code”.

The exhibit did not impress at least one critic writing for the British newspaper “The Guardian” who responded with a piece entitled Sorry MOMA, Games Are Not Art. Later, the paper ran a counter opinion calling the whole argument a fool’s errand and a debate “that shouldn’t be”.

Beyond the question of whether video games are art, or perhaps part of it, lies the consideration of their usefulness or even harmfulness. Film critic Roger Ebert once pointed out that “for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic”. The Thyssen Museum’s Nubla video game symbolizes an attempt to untangle the two sides, or even a colorful and technological bridge over a growing generation gap. The question remains as to how many people will cross it and more importantly, just how extreme our future generation’s dependency on technology will become in a world that’s already looking to gaming systems to appreciate art.

Spaniards are known as late eaters. Because there is a lot of time between meals, Spanish Tapas is convenient as a snack. Tapas is part of the Spanish way of life and there is no thought that it will ever disappear.

• Every February a tapas fair is organized in Seville. This is where many bars and restaurants participate and compete against each other to create the best tapa.
• Many of these traditional tapas served during the fair are made up of the Spanish cheeses and hams.
• In February, Seville has a pleasant temperature and is a good month to visit the city!

Tapas in Seville

More than 50 restaurants and bars officially participate in the Tapas Fair. At the "Palacio de Congresos" and the "Exposiciones Center" located on Avenida de Alcalde de Luís Uruñuela, varied, famous, traditional and flavorful tapas are offered. It is a popular Spanish tradition for restaurants and bars to compete with each other and creatively serve their unique, homemade tapas of up to €2.50. Home-town visitors as well as tourists are welcome to sample these Spanish delicacies. In addition to the many tapas offered at the fair, drinks are also very popular. From Sherry to wine and beer, anything that can be combined with tapas is present. Traditional wines from Seville and its surroundings, such as white wines and the so-called Sevillian "fino" (a dry sherry consumed as an aperitif) are also available during the fair.

Many of the traditional Spanish tapas sold at this annual fest are based on Spain's popular hams and cheeses, regional delicacies such as duck or kidneys in Pedro Jimenez sauce, roasted figs wrapped in bacon, tortillas de camarones and shrimp fritters. Participants serve about 8 to 12 different tapas that include "cocina casera" (homemade dishes), "chacina" (meats), "marisco" (seafood), "caracoles" (snails), "pescadito frito" (fried fish), "revueltos" (scrambled eggs) and "ensaladas" (salads). The tapas are kept under glass heat showcases that make the tapas look scrumptious. Almost all tapas contain garlic and often paprika and, of course, olive oil.

Visiting Seville in February is the chosen time for a city break to enjoy the city as well as the traditional tapas offered in bars, restaurants and hotels. Also, the temperature in February is very pleasant and not as extremely hot as during the summer.

Argentina's oldest carnival is celebrated in the town of Humahuaca, located in the Yujuh province in the northwest of the country. During the months of February and March, Humahuaca is the capital of the carnival in the Gorge area. Located among the colorful mountains of Salta, Humahuaca is known for its carnival. Not only during the months when carnival is celebrated, but also during the rest of the year masks, costumes and rituals of the carnival can be found.

• The Humahuaca carnival is celebrated in northwestern Argentina and is the oldest carnival in the country.
• The Humahuaca people dress in colorful costumes and many wear masks to remain anonymous.
• The carnival is a mix between the original carnival of the Christians and pre-Colombian pagan rituals. Many traditions return, such as throwing white powder and carrying basil leaves. 

Even though the celebration of carnival is in the month of February or March, preparations keep locals busy all year long. As soon as in February, the "Devil" arrives from the mountains, the carnival has begun. The 'Devil' is a rag doll that stands as a symbol of the carnival. The tradition is that every year at the end of the carnival, the rag doll is buried and dug up again with the next carnival. After this, the carnival celebrations begin with feasting, dancing and drinking and a lot of traditional music is made with old instruments such as the quenas (Andean flutes with two open ends), guitars, pan flutes and accordions.

So the carnival officially begins on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday with the unearthing of the rag doll and lasts for nine days. In Humahuaca, it begins a few days earlier because the so-called Tantanakuy (traditional old musicians from all over the country) gather. Carnival is celebrated in a natural, old-fashioned way on the streets. The enthusiastic locals are dressed in colorful costumes and most wear imposing masks. Wearing masks is very popular during carnival to remain anonymous. Many rituals are participated in. One of these rituals is the Topamiento tradition: hundreds of men walk toward town in search of a dance partner for the rest of the evening.

Carnival in northern Argentina is a mix between pre-Columbian pagan rituals and the traditional carnival celebrations of Christians. Naturally, there is a lot of drinking, dancing and partying. Argentine traditions such as throwing white powder at each other, hurling serpentines and confetti in each other's faces and wearing basil leaves in your ears are also part of the Humahuaca carnival. The famous carnival is attended by local, Argentine and foreign visitors alike.

On Palm Sunday, the sixth Sunday of the year, the rag doll is again buried in a hole at the foot of the hill. This ritual is very sad and full of emotions. "May the carnival Devil come back soon" the people whisper and this is how the Humahuaca carnival ends. The carnival can be visited from larger cities such as San Salvador but many visitors also go on foot or on a mule. Even if you don't visit the carnival in February, the carnival can also be seen the rest of the year. Several museums in Humahuaca display crafts, paintings, sculptures, masks and costumes.

This carnival in Argentina is one of the most famous and popular carnivals in the Argentina and if you are around during this festival, it is definitely worth a visit to experience carnival in a different country and culture! 

A small town story of a botched albeit well-meaning attempt to restore a small historic painting unexpectedly went viral back in 2012, inspiring an international flurry of memes, tweets, comedy sketches and even an opera. Today, over two years after the episode occurred, some 150,000 tourists have flocked to observe the painting, paying €1 a piece to check out the curious cultural phenomenon in person. 

Here’s a quick recap of the famous restore fail:

2012

A small 1930’s era fresco painting in a church in the small Spanish town of Borja (pop. 5,000) starts to peel. The painting features a rather lifelike image of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns and a burgundy tunic. In August, local resident and amateur painter Cecilia Giménez makes an unskilled attempt to restore the painting without permission, leaving a crude and decidedly un-photorealistic image in its place. The surprisingly unsatisfactory restoration, bungled beyond recognition, quickly becomes an internet sensation. Cecilia is lampooned and scorned to shame on the internet and in the media. The first tourists begin arriving to view the painting.

2013

Bodegas Ruberte announces new special edition wine “Cecilia Giménez”

2014

Two years after Cecilia’s intriguing restoration, 130,000 people had visited the painting, that’s some 2,000 per month. A full-fledged fiesta celebrating the 2^nd anniversary of the restoration is thrown in the sanctuary surrounding the church, which surrounds the painting. Cecilia announces that she’s “very happy, everyone supports me…”

A Blessing in Disguise

And so it seems that Cecilia Giménez, the seemingly naïve 80 something amateur restorer of fine arts has unwittingly generated incredible tourist interest in her work and in the town of Borja itself as the curious flock to the  previously off-the-radar destination. Amused visitors who’ve made the journey make their way into the church that houses the work where they anxiously await, on the verge of uncontrollable giggle attacks, their coveted first-person peeks at the undeniably funny restore. A strategically positioned donation container reminds observers that the town of Borja is silently laughing too; all the way to the bank.

It’s really impossible to know if Cecilia’s fantastically clumsy work was indeed a fantastic master stroke carefully designed to prompt the shower of “pennies from heaven” over the village. She insists that she made the repaint attempt “with very good intention” asking for forgiveness if she’s sinned by painting over the masterwork.

Conan O’Brian included a sketch about Cecilia’s restoration on his show. The New York Times published an article about the story last December.

Wikipedia lists the “Hedgehog-like figure of Jesus” renovation as one of the town’s main sights, along with a Baroque convent and an 18^th century temple. 

My first concern when I heard about the financial and popular success of the phenomenon was the possibility of copycat towns looking to cash in by artistically ruining their own historic pieces of art. I haven’t heard of that happening, but in an unrelated side note, it does kind of remind me of a 2011 story of the mayor of the Turkish town of Batman who announced plans to sue Warner Bros. for using the name of his town without permission, asserting that “there is only one batman in the world”.

A little soul searching and a curious question of values may float in the air for observers considering attempting to prompt their own shower of pennies from heaven: how valuable is art? For many, destroying a small and obscure piece of art may seem like a small price to pay in exchange for converting their town into a profitable tourist trap during difficult economic times. Who knows, maybe people have even tried but have failed to be successful with their purposely failed restoration attempts.

Another question the story raises is how we value art. Many professional painters who’ve dedicated their lives to mastering their craft dream of attracting the amount of people and generating the amount of excitement that Cecilia Gimenez’s unskilled restoration has.

 For now, as always, many people will continue dreaming of being successful, or dreaming up ways to be successful. Hopefully they’ll do it “with very good intention”.

Close to the border triangle with Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, where the Iguazu and Paraná rivers mingle, you will find one of the largest waterfalls in the world and stunning nature that says "you". This park bears the name National Park Iguazu and is also one of the areas with the highest biodiversity of any national park in South America. This extraordinary natural park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List back in 1986 and was also chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This park is characterized by its extraordinary waterfalls and subtropical rainforest where the most extraordinary and extravagant flora and fauna coexist.

• Iguazu National Park is located in the northeastern province of Misiones near the tri-border point of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and has a total area of 67,000 hectares.
• The bird that received the honor of appearing on the park's logo is the swift.
• Groundbreaking are the sustainability and environmental standards the park is implementing. The fact that the park is highly accessible to the disabled is also a mark of class.

National Park Iguazu is found the northeastern part of the province of Misiones in Argentina. With a total area of 67,000 hectares, of which 53,000 hectares is national park and the rest is protected nature reserve. The climate is subtropical and therefore the humidity is high: between 75% and 90%. Around February the average temperature is around 26 degrees Celsius and around June and July around 15 degrees Celsius. The climate and excellent temperatures make for exceptional flora and fauna, but Iguazu's most famous feature is its impressive waterfalls. Over a length of 2,700 meters and a height of 80 meters, these waterfalls are considered the natural separation between Argentina and Brazil. Of the as many as 275 waterfalls, one section that really stands out is the one where the waterfall almost seems to close. This is also called the devil's throat, garganta del diablo. The pictures already look spectacular, but to really see this you must have been there. The many hiking trails and footbridges that have been specially constructed for this purpose will lead you the way to this natural wonder.

Surrounding these falls is the subtropical rainforest with as many as 2,000 plant species. The national plant of Argentina, the seibo is a type of coral flower that is also represented here. Besides plants, the park is known for the bird species that fly and reside here. With 400 bird species, this is almost half of all the species found throughout Argentina. The swift is the most famous bird here and is therefore common. This swallow soars over the water and flies right past the falls and is therefore depicted on the logo of National Park Iguazu with the falls behind it.

Not only will you find birds and animals that abound here, it is also home to certain animals and plants that are in danger of extinction. The jaguar, tapir, black-masked gouan, anteater and certain eagles are some examples. National Park Iguazu is very conscious of protecting and preserving this natural area. This has also been one of the reasons why the area has been declared a national park, as sustainability and the environment are obviously high priorities here. This is reflected in the various ISO standards it has been allowed to receive in terms of environmental monitoring, and here they are the first in all of South America. Ultimately, this should help minimize and preserve the area, keeping the park ecologically balanced and allowing future generations to enjoy it to the fullest.

Besides protecting the park's flora and fauna, what makes it special is its high level of accessibility for the disabled. Throughout the park there is a train that also fits wheelchairs. This consumes less energy and blends in completely with nature. The same goes for the deaf, blind and visually impaired, they can explore the park with a guide. This makes National Park Iguazu accessible to all and so even the disabled can simply enjoy all this natural beauty.

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes or simply "Goya" (1746-1828) is one of Spain's most famous and recognized artists. His mastery of art allowed him to bridge the romantic with the modern; considered the last of the Old Masters, he was able to change his style with the times in a way that few other artists have been able to accomplish. Today, the National Arts Club in New York is showing one of his seminal works, the Los Caprichos (Caprices) series of prints in its entirety.  Subversive and critical, Goya was never afraid to air his opinion through his art and deftly aired his feelings through his work—even as court painter—and with Los Caprichos we can see how he pushed the limits (and buttons) of Spanish society in an era of instability and unrest.

Goya was a skilled at expressing criticism through his art subtly employing details and references offering the viewer the possibility to choose between different interpretations. This skill is best demonstrated in his portrait Charles IV of Spain and His Family  (1801). Goya uses Velazquez's immortal "Las Meninas" as his model but in this painting there is a claustrophobic feeling as we see Goya smothered, in the background, by the royal family. Goya pulls no punches in dressing the family in extravagant clothing and, most notably, places the queen in the center of the image since it was believed that she was the real power behind the throne.

One aspect of his work that is lesser known (along with his work in tapestries) is what he accomplished in etched works. There are two series of prints which are the most well known: Los Caprichos (1797-1799) and the Disastres de la Guerra (1810-1820). In the Disasters of War, a series of 82 prints, Goya protests against the violence of the Peninsular War; he even illustrates the reverses of the liberal cause in Spain due to the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Incredibly, this was accomplished while still exercising his role as court painter producing many memorable portraits during this time.

Los Caprichos

His other series, which is now on display at the National Arts Club in New York City, Los Caprichos  or "Caprices" is a damning view of what he considered to be the follies of Spanish society. The idea for this project originated in the 1780s thanks to his relationship with some of Spain's most important Enlightenment influenced intellectuals of the day like Fernández de Moratín y Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez. As part of this group Goya was able to share is ideas with other like minded thinkers on subjects that were driving Spanish society like religious fanaticism, the prevalence of superstitions and the continued use of the Inquisition as method of control.

With the coronation of Carlos IV in 1788 and the French Revolution on the other side of the Pyrenees, Spain became a more intolerant place and Goya would not begin his etchings due to tension of the time and the sensitive nature of his material. During this time many of his friends, like Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, were exiled and others imprisoned. Because of these happenings, Goya withdrew to the Court not willing to take a chance to stand out too much.

In 1793, is is believed that Goya suffered a stroke while travelling to Seville and his physical condition suffered greatly as a result. Now deaf, he also had problems walking and maintaining his balance. Having come close to death and now suffering the physical effects of his illness, Goya's life and work would forever be changed. He became more in touch with himself and more determined than ever to point out the wrongs of society as a way of creating change.

His experiments with aquatinted etchings produced the 80 illustrations known as Los Caprichos: 80 bitter, dark and critical images that take on Spanish society—this series would also foreshadow the style and tone of his Black Paintings at the end of his career. The illustrations do not follow any particular order but there they do appear to go from theme to theme. The first part of the Los Caprichos is dedicated to erotic satire while the second part criticizes the social conventions of the day. The second half of the Los Caprichos is also the most expressive and haunting.

It is in the second half that we begin to see Goya's extravagant  and sometimes grotesque allusions to the inequalities of Spanish society. In one print, #42 Tú que no puedes (You Who Cannot Do It), shows two farmers  each carrying donkey on their back. The title of this print comes from a popular saying that goes: Tú que no puedes, lleváme a cuestas (You who cannot do it, carry me on your shoulders) which is used with someone asks for help from someone in the same situation or worse. This print is an allegory of how the peasant population must carry the burden of supporting the Spanish nobility (the two donkeys) and clearly illustrates the inherent unfairness of society. In the latter part of Caprichos, known as Brujerías (witchcraft) or Sueños (dreams), we see the full force of Goya's imagination and vision. From his romantic beginnings, Goya shows us a new and grotesque conception of his art. Using these illustrations he gives form to his repulsion of the evil that he perceives in the world employing monsters, deformed fairies and tormented faces.

Goya began to sell this series in Madrid on February 6, 1799 in a perfume shop since traditional book stores and galleries didn't want to have anything to do with this controversial work. Their worries would soon be shared by Goya himself due to threats of having to go before the Spanish Inquisition. After only 14 days of being on sale, he withdrew his book of prints only selling 27 of the 300 copies printed. Goya, now fearing for his well being, sought a way out of his predicament.

As an artist moving between the worlds of the Enlightenment and the nobility, his artistic freedom had reached its limits with the threat of having to go before the inquisition hanging over his head. As a way of saving his work (and himself) he sought the help of his patron, King Carlos IV to who Goya offered to turn over all of the unsold copies and plates. Amazingly, in exchange for this, Goya was still able to negotiate a lifetime pension for his son, Javier. Since then, there have been limited editions printed with last one done during the Republican period in 1937 for a total of 20 editions since their original publication in 1799.

The Caprichos exhibited today in New York is a copy that was donated to the National Arts Club in 1994 by an heir of artist Robert Henri. This copy is a ninth edition that was printed between 1908 and 1912. The last time the the complete Caprichos series was seen in New York was in a 1994 exhibition held by the MOMA. To see the Caprichos you will need to hurry since this exhibit will only last for the month of January—a wonderful opportunity save yourself a trip to the Prado Museum in Spain to view the complete series. Los Caprichos is open to the public at the National Arts Club in the exhibition "Francisco de Goya y Lucientes: Los Caprichos" until January 31 and, best of all, admission is free.   

Far in the south of Spain, between the provinces of Huelva and Seville and at the mouth of the Guadalqivir River is Doñana National Park. This is the second largest national park in Andalusia after Sierra Nevada and has a 700-year history. UNESCO has also already recognized this special park and in 1994 included it on the list as a World Heritage Site and Reserve. There are several reasons for this, as the park is characterized by a diversity of biotopes (natural habitats of plants and animals) and special ecosystems. It is home to several wild animals and migratory birds including some endangered species. Wild horses, sea turtles, wild boar and birds are not unthinkable here.

• Of the Spanish national parks, Doñana National Park is the only one to have an ecosystem with moving dunes.
• At the foot of the national park is a small village called El Rocío. This village takes you right into history and is the perfect starting point for a horseback ride through this special area.
• An alternative way to visit the park is via Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Cadiz. By boat, you can easily dock at Doñana and then take a long walk along the kilometers of moving dunes.

In Andalusia, 17% of the total territory consists of protected natural areas. Of that 17%, the Doñana National Park comprises more than 26,000 hectares of protected area. This is slightly more than half of the total area consisting of some 50,000 hectares. Forest and scrubland, beach lakes, marsh and moving dunes mark the nature reserve here. These dunes are up to 30 kilometers long and are so called because the wind causes the dunes to be in constant motion and because of this they change shape and size all the time. This is unique in Spain and therefore one of the most special attractions of the park. Doñana is also special because it is the habitat of the following endangered species: the pardellynx, the Spanish imperial eagle, the marbled duck and the white-headed duck. In addition, it is another annual wintering site for about 500,000 waterfowl. Because the land is so well regulated by nature, there is plenty of fertile soil to be found on and around the park. So chances are that the strawberries in the store come from this region; in fact, Spain boasts the largest strawberry export worldwide. Moreover, 90% of Spain's total fruit cultivation is concentrated mainly in the Huelva and Seville area around Doñana National Park.

Every year a pilgrimage takes place through Doñana National Park.This starts from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Cadiz and lasts three days and two nights.In it, nearly 9,000 people walk the road to Almonte. A special journey that teaches how to enjoy paradise: the earth. This trek also passes through the village of El Rocío. A visit to this village is really recommended. In fact, it lies at the foot of Doñana National Park and completely takes you back to the past. For those who always wanted to get an impression of how comic book character Lucky Luke lived, this is the proclaimed opportunity! This may not be the town on which the famous comic strip is based, but it is certainly not inferior. As soon as you arrive on a narrow dirt road, you see the first phenomena that give you the impression of having gone back in time. In the distance you can see the wooden houses with porches and stands for horses. Indeed, here people often go out on horseback, by horse and carriage or on foot. For those who are completely excited to go horseback riding themselves in this special village, there is the possibility of making a tour on horseback through the beautiful surroundings with El Rocío as a starting point.

There are several ways to get to Doñana National Park. The park is about a one-hour drive from Andalusia's capital, Seville. For those who are in Seville and want to spend a few days at Matalascañas beach, they can choose to take the indirect bus to Matalascañas. This route passes through the village of El Rocio and the park itself. This could be the perfect starting point for a combination visit to El Rocío, Matalascañas ánd the Doñana National Park. Another possibility to visit the park in a special way is via the small seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Cadiz. With a small boat you sail towards the park. Once docked, you can enjoy a quiet and peaceful beach here. A long beach walk along the kilometers of moving dunes is already unique in itself. There is also a good chance of encountering wildlife along the way. For true birdwatchers and nature lovers, this area is a walhalla, because a visit to this park shows the real wilderness of Spain. In short, and true adventure!

St. Nicholas in Spain...?

The feast of the "Three Kings" is an important holiday in Spain. Whereas in Holland all children look forward to the arrival of Sinterklaas, children in Spain look forward to January 5. For on this day, los Reyes Magos, the three kings arrive.

The story of Epiphany has its origins in a Bible story by the apostle Matthew. He describes the story of three Wise Men from the East, who, by following a bright star in the sky, go in search of the newborn King of the Jews. They eventually arrive at a stable in Bethlehem and find Mary here, with her newborn baby Jesus. The three kings - Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar offer Mary and the baby 3 gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

As in the Bible story, the three kings also bring gifts for the children in Spain. Every year children write "la carta a los Reyes Magos," a kind of wish list of gifts they wish for. On the night of Jan. 5-6, children put their shoe on the balcony, under the Christmas tree or in front of the window so the kings can see them clearly. Some candy is also often laid out for the kings and some hay and sugar cubes for the camels. That night the three Kings go around all the houses and the next morning the candy and hay are gone and presents are waiting. But of course if the children have been nice all year, because those who have not been nice initially receive some carbón dulce, sweet candies that look like black coal. These are a warning for naughty children and can be compared to the roes or the sack of Sinterklaas with us in the Netherlands.

On January 5, parades called "la Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos" are organized in many places in Spain. The parade in the Spanish town of Alcoy in Alicante is considered the oldest Epiphany parade in Spain and descriptions of it have been found as far back as 1866. During the parades, the streets are filled with Christmas lights and music and are packed with parents and children. During the parade, floats move through the streets and on one of these floats are the three Kings. Sometimes the Magi are also on camels and horses march in the parade. From the floats, candy is often thrown to the children during the parade and sometimes small gifts. On the day of the entry, all schools are closed and every year Spanish television broadcasts the parade live, each year from a different city.

During the days before Epiphany, you can find specially baked wreaths everywhere, in a round shape and decorated with candied fruit and sugar, called "rosca de reyes" or "roscón de reyes" (the king's ring). Traditionally, this king's wreath is eaten for breakfast on Jan. 6. Often a bean is hidden in the wreath and the person who finds the bean is the king on that day and gets to decide what is done and eaten that day.

Madrid's Puerta del Sol

New York has the glass ball, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Rio de Janeiro has fireworks on the beach and Tokyo has Shibuya crossing. In Madrid, we have the Puerta del Sol—Spain's kilometer zero where all highways radiate from reaching all of the areas of the country. Located in what is Madrid's Times Square, is a stately baroque Post building with a landmark clock tower called the Reloj de la Gobernación or the Clock of the Government in English. When twelve o'clock strikes in Madrid, all of the country tunes in to the Puerta del Sol and listen to the distinctive chimes of the clock striking twelve which is called the Campanadas de fin de año or the last bell tolls of the year. Curiously, the chimes of the stately clock are not the main attraction. Instead the tolling of the bell marks the rhythm for what really matters—eating 12 grapes to welcome in the New Year.

But how did this tradition of eating 12 grapes come into being? It isn't known for sure, but many believe that the tradition dates back to the early 1880s when upper class Madrileños began to imitate the French aristocratic tradition of dining with grapes and champagne on New Year's Eve.  To mock this practice, the people of Madrid gathered at the Puerta del Sol, as usual, to celebrate the New Year in the company of other but with a twist. They would now eat grapes as a derisive gesture towards their upper crust neighbors while they celebrated the end of one year and the entrance to another.

In 1909, the tradition would now become more established and the grapes that are used today were then introduced into the ceremony that we now recognize today. This is because growers in the Vianlopó Valley in the region of Alicante had a bumper crop of grapes that they needed to unload any way possible. Thankfully, the timing of the harvest was such that they would be able to sell their grapes to people in Madrid in need of this fruit in time for New Year's.  An added benefit this grape afforded people, in addition to its availability, was its thin skin which made this grape easier to eat within the 12 bell strikes at midnight.  For those people that are able to eat the 12 grapes before the last bell sounds, they will enjoy a new year full of success and good luck.

Today the grapes are grown specifically for this purpose and they are grown in a very peculiar way. Today these coveted grapes have the protected Denominación de Orígen which strictly regulates how these grapes are grown and handled.  One of the biggest peculiarities of this grape is that it is grown wrapped in Paper bags on the vine. For over 100 years, the best grape clusters are chosen on the vines and wrapped in paper bag that has an opening in the bottom. This was due to a plague of cochylis moths that devasted the grape crop at the turn of the last century. With their crops ruined, a farmer named Manuel Bonmatí Abad decided to try out the paper bag. As it turns out, his invention worked and not only had the bags protected the grapes from the bugs, but they also protected the grapes from inclement weather, birds and (over) exposure to pesticides.

Today, the grapes are still grown in this time consuming and costly growing process but the result is a unique and tasty culinary treat. Curiously, one inconvenience that these grapes have for people searching for good luck on New Year's Eve is that these grapes have three to four seeds  which can complicate the task of trying to eat 12 in a about 15 seconds. The thin skin is helpful but the seeds make the endeavor of eating these grapes in time a difficult task. For this reason there are some shortcuts that people take prior to chime of the bells. The most common trick is for people to peel and remove the seeds from the grapes. A laborious task but effective in helping people get as lucky as possible for the coming year. Another way of cheating the bells is to buy tins with exactly 12 peeled and seed free grapes; this more expensive option is also the most convenient—no cleaning, peeling or removing seeds.

However or wherever you plan on celebrating your New Year's, be sure to have 12 grapes handy and, tune your computer, tablet or smartphone to rtve.es and watch the campanadas live from the Puerto del Sol.

Dutch and Spanish together are Indo-European languages. This is a large language group consisting of as many as more than 400 related languages. Although both languages are not descended from the same subgroups they do show some similarities. In fact, the alphabet is virtually the same except for a few additions to the Spanish alphabet, such as the Ñ and the LL. The Dutch have the advantage of being able to imitate Spanish sounds more easily because almost all sounds are also found in Dutch itself. Sounds such as the rolling R and the hard G also appear in Spanish as double RR and J. This is one of the reasons why the Dutch are generally quicker to master another language and thus automatically have a head start in learning this beautiful Romance language.

• The Spanish language has its origins in Latin because it is a Romance language. Because Latin used to be used in the Netherlands as a lingua franca (main language of communication between countries that do not share the same language) mainly in writing, this Germanic language of origin also shows similarities derived from Latin.
• Just as Dutch has loan words from Spanish, there are also loan words that the Spanish language has adopted from Dutch. Many of these words are due to past shipping.
• While learning Spanish, there is a chance of false friends. These are words from the Dutch language that show many similarities with the Spanish language, but have completely different meanings.

The Spanish language comes from a subset of Indo-European languages and is considered a phonetic language. This means that you pronounce what you read. This Indo-European language group consists of as many as 400 related languages and is divided into four subgroups, Germanic languages, Indo-Iranian languages, Romance languages and Slavic languages. Spanish falls under the Romance languages along with Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian. These languages are so named because they derive from the Latin of Ancient Rome and therefore share similarities in sound and grammar.

That being said, Dutch has no similarities at all; indeed, Dutch is in possession of quite a few loanwords from Spanish. Loan words that are most common in the Dutch language come from French, German, English and Spanish. This is due to the fact that France, Germany and the United Kingdom are neighboring countries with which the Netherlands always maintained a close relationship. In addition, the population close to the border often spoke two languages, creating more clustering. In the case of Spanish loanwords, things were slightly different because Spain, of course, is not a direct neighboring country. This language comes directly from Latin. Partly because the Netherlands used to use Latin primarily in writing and as a lingua franca. Because of this, among other things, similarities can be found in Spanish and Dutch. The origin of some loan words, mostly ship words from Dutch comes from history. As a country, the Netherlands was known for its colonization and many voyages of discovery around the world. This created a lot of trade and cultural exchange which in addition led to language exchange. Nowadays, more and more loan words from Spain are being used due to globalization and an ever-growing Spanish-speaking population.

Certain words that are written exactly the same and mean the same thing in both languages are often the somewhat shorter words, such as bar (bar) and photo (photo). Words that Dutch has adopted from Spanish are also present. In fact, the Spanish word for party, fiesta is already fully integrated into the Dutch language. The same goes for the words siesta (small nap), tapas (small Spanish snacks), macho (tough guy) and lasso (round piece of string). Conversely, Spanish has also borrowed certain words from the Dutch language. While these words have been slightly adapted to Spanish, they still have the same meaning. Loan words like dike (dique), freebooter (filibustero) and words like starboard and bakboard that have been translated to estribor and babor are some examples..

Not always do Dutch words that are very similar to Spanish mean the same thing. Occasionally, one must also look out for the well-known false friends of a language. False friends are words that have similarities in some other language, but have a totally different meaning. Examples of some false friends you may encounter while learning Spanish are pan, cara, aceite and carta. At first you would think that these words mean pan, car, vinegar and card, but nothing could be further from the truth. The actual meanings of these words are bread, face, oil and letter. This can occasionally lead to certain laughable situations.