The 12 Days of Winter

1
The 12 Days of Winter

• Background Information

2
A tuna on a cactus

• The red fruit of some cactus species is edible.
• People also eat the cactus leaves, but thats
  another story.

3
Farolitos

• These old-time lanterns lit the way during Las
  Posadas, a time in December when people re-enact
  the search of Joseph and Mary for a place to
  stay.
• People make a parade from house to house, at
  night, until they reach the last house, where
  they have a party.

4
Shinny Pesos

• Just like the United States money is called the
  dollar, Mexican money has a special name
  peso.
• Some of these modern pesos have two colors of
  metal.

5
Mariachi

• Traditionally, mariachi have been men, but women
  are now allowed in the bands.
• The musical groups sing, play guitar, trumpets,
  etc.
• People hire them to play traditional music at
  weddings, birthdays, and other special events.

6
Jumping Beans

• Inside some beans are small insects.
• Each time the insect moves inside the bean, the
  bean looks like it is jumping!

7
Chocolates

• Did you know chocolate was the beverage of the
  nobility?
• The Aztecs kings drank it with chile powder.
• When the Spaniards discovered it, they took it
  back to their king and queen.
• A popular brand is Abuelita. This chocolate
  has a cinnamon flavor to it.

8
Hot Tamales

• During the December festivities, a lot of tamales
  are prepared and eaten.
• These corn and meat morsels are individually
  wrapped in corn husk and steamed in a big pot.

9
Anaconda

• The Anaconda is part of the boa constrictor
  family.
• It lives in the jungles of Central and South
  America.
• It is an excellent swimmer.
• Anacondas can grow very large.

10
Poinsettia

• This is a wild flower that grows in Mexico and
  other Central American countries.
• It starts out all green. The top few leaves turn
  red at a certain time of year (usually December).

11
Cowboys

• Cowboys came to the Americas by way of the
  Spanish Empire.
• The Spaniards brought over the first cows and
  with them, the first cow hands.
• The Spanish vaqueros taught the Anglos how to
  be cowboys!

12
Sea Turtles

• Many nesting sites are located along the coast
  lines of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, near
  the warm equator waters.
• Costa Rica, in particular, has a variety of
  nesting sites.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle
13

• Baby Kemp-ridley sea turtles heading out to the
  ocean.
• Adult Kemp-Ridley

14

• The leatherback sea turtle has a dark leathery
  shell with ridges.
• This is a loggerhead sea turtle.

15

• The olive-ridley sea turtle is similar to the
  kemp-ridley.
• This is a green sea turtle.

16
Tortillas

• The traditional tortillas are made of corn dough,
  some type of fat (lard), and water.
• They are flattened by hand and spread on a
  comal to cook.
• An experienced cook can flip the tortilla without
  scorching her finger tips.
• Now people can buy flour tortillas at the store.